Taylor Eigsti - Plot Armor (2024) [Official Digital Download 24/88]

The follow-up album to his GRAMMY-winning Tree Falls, the pianist-composer-bandleader’s ninth album and GroundUP Music label debut boasts twin masters in each instrumental slot—featured guest (vocalist Lisa Fischer, trumpeter Terence Blanchard); vocals (Gretchen Parlato, Becca Stevens); saxophone (Ben Wendel, Dayna Stephens); guitar (Charles Altura, Julian Lage); keyboards/piano (Maya Kronfeld, the man himself); bass (David “DJ” Ginyard, Harish Raghavan); drums (Oscar Seaton, Jr., Kendrick Scott), plus many appearances by a layered string section (Stephanie Yu, Corinne Sobolewski, Mia Barcia-Colombo, Jules Levy).

“The only instrument that didn’t have more than one representative was flute,” he notes. “But Rebecca Kleinmann did triple herself most of the time and played different parts. So she had clones, at least.

“I wanted to build the whole record around two concepts: One was using the bands that I’m playing with frequently—Oscar and DJ and Charles and Maya,” Eigsti says. “And I also wanted more than one representative of every instrument on this record. It’s been a huge source of joy to play with Harish, Kendrick, and Julian over the years, and I’m so happy they were able to join us on this project.”

Plot Armor continues Eigsti’s winning approach of showcasing eleven of his original compositions plus a standard. With ace string arrangements by Andrew Balogh, its orchestral lushness showcases Eigsti’s compositional prowess and his experiences sharing the bandstand with the Turtle Island String Quartet as a member of Blanchard’s E-Collective band (along with Altura, Ginyard and Seaton). “The Rumor” began as an improvisation between Eigsti and Turtle Island violist Benni von Gutzeit.

“Andrew really turned these string arrangements into one of the most important components of this whole record,” Eigsti reflects. “I’ve written a lot of music for symphony orchestra over the years, and Andrew added such a beautiful dimension to these tunes with his orchestrations that captures a cinematic quality throughout.”

“Let You Bee” (a song which Eigsti describes as a tribute to a bumblebee that wouldn’t leave him alone) opens Plot Armor and comes to a conclusion with a masterful Altura mini-masterclass in guitar. “Charles personifies the bee,” Eigsti points out. “You hear him soloing towards the end of that tune, and he becomes like the bee, free to buzz around wherever he pleases.”

TRACKLIST

1. Taylor Eigsti - Let You Bee
2. Taylor Eigsti - Bucket of F's
3. Taylor Eigsti - Look Around You
4. Taylor Eigsti - Plot Armor
5. Taylor Eigsti - Light Dream
6. Taylor Eigsti - Fire Within
7. Taylor Eigsti - The Rumor
8. Taylor Eigsti - Actually
9. Taylor Eigsti - Beyond The Blue
10. Taylor Eigsti - 201918
11. Taylor Eigsti - Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
12. Taylor Eigsti - Bad Sport Lobby



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