Jeff Parker – Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy

Starting in 2018, LA-based guitarist Jeff Parker set up camp at the Enfield Tennis Academy in Highland Park for an extended residency. Parker, who earned acclaim as a member of Tortoise, the Chicago Underground Duo, Isotope 217 and others before concentrating on life as a solo artist and bandleader, played every Monday with a quartet dubbed ETA IVtet. It also featured alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, drummer Jay Bellerose, and bassist Anna Butterss. As these things often go with expert players – and pretty much anything Parker touches – with each passing gig they evolved from four players into One Holy Thing, a unit with a collective musical consciousness. Unlike Parker’s other recent knockout, the meditative solo guitar album Forfolks, rhythm drives Mondays at the Enfield. Bellrose and Butterss keep it steady and sure, with the drummer moving from kit to shakers to cymbals. The third track, “21.05-19” (named for the set date), clocks in at 18 minutes and vibes like a peaceful Pharoah Sanders lullaby. Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy is only available as a digital download or double LP. Unavailable on major streaming services, it takes more work to hear than you’re maybe used, but it’s so worth it.

Recommended – Full Listen