The Way Out of Easy
Jeff Parker & ETA IVtet- Freakadelic
- Late Autumn
- Easy Way Out
- Chrome Dome
Today guitarist Jeff Parker announces The Way Out of Easy, a new album with his long-running ETA IVtet featuring saxophonist Josh Johnson (SML, Meshell Ndegeocello, Leon Bridges), bassist Anna Butterss (SML, Jason Isbell, Phoebe Bridgers), and drummer Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant, Allen Toussaint, Joe Henry), out November 22, 2024 on International Anthem/Nonesuch Records. The Way Out of Easy is the first recording by Parker and this ensemble since their 2022 debut Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, which was recently named one of the “Best Albums of the 2020s So Far” by Pitchfork.
Like the critically lauded Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, The Way Out of Easy is composed entirely of recordings from Los Angeles creative music outpost ETA — a venue where Parker and this ensemble held a weekly residency from 2016 until it closed in December of 2023. Over seven years of working in that space, the ETA IVtet evolved from a band that played mostly standards into a group known for its transcendent, long-form journeys into innovative, groove-oriented minimalist and mantric improvised music. All four tracks on The Way Out of Easy come from a single night in 2023, providing an unfiltered view of the ensemble, fully in their element, embarking in linear improvisations that unfold across eighty minutes of music recorded and mixed live by engineer Bryce Gonzales.
Gonzales – who is known for the high-end audio gear he builds as Highland Dynamics, and even designed a custom mixer to be able to record this band at ETA – also wrote liner notes for The Way Out of Easy. In his notes he colors his approach: “For this band, the most important thing to consider is: not doing anything to get in the way of what they are saying to each other.” He also describes the simple schematic he created to capture the recordings – “basically only 4 level controls for one microphone per player” – which is evident in the incredibly vivid, clear and transparent sound on The Way Out of Easy.
Along with the album announcement today, an album track is available on all digital music platforms. The opening of “Late Autumn” finds Parker swaying in alliterative, arpeggiating cycles, using just a few plucked notes as he lays the compositional foundation. At first it almost sounds like an echo of a humble tune from his 2021 solo guitar album Forfolks, but as the piece unfolds, his ensemble joins him to help build a beautifully multi-textured, gently-shifting four-dimensional construction out of a simple idea.
The seventeen minute track also comes with a full-length film by multimedia artist and musician Mikel Patrick Avery. For “Late Autumn,” Avery both created and filmed a series of improvised mechanical balancing sculptures in his Philadelphia studio.
On Monday December 2, Parker and the ETA IVtet will play at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY, on the first night of a three-night International Anthem residency, co-presented by Qobuz. The band will play two sets.
On Monday December 16, the band will play at Zebulon in Los Angeles, CA.
On Monday October 28th, In Sheep’s Clothing will host a very special event at their headquarters in West Hollywood, CA. “The Music of Jeff Parker” will feature an exclusive advance listening of The Way Out of Easy on ISC HQ’s hifi sound system, followed by a conversation between Parker and veteran music supervisor Jocelyn Brown. The event will culminate with a performance of a broad selection of Parker’s original compositions by the trio of Gregory Uhlmann (guitar), Anna Butterss (bass), and Ben Lumsdaine (drums) – all of whom are longtime students, friends and collaborators of Parker.