To bring Still Time To Quit to life, McCarthy drew on the skills of musicians equally at home in deep funk pockets and wild improvisation. The album’s horn front line is one of the most stacked on a jazz record in recent memory. Takuya Kuroda has made a name for himself as one of the fastest rising trumpet players on the scene today through two critically acclaimed albums, Rising Son and Zigzagger. Michael Blake has been an enduring presence on the NY scene for 30 years, playing with everyone from Charlie Hunter to Oliver Lake. As a front line, they bring an enormous amount of character to every solo, and they interact with each other at an almost telepathic level.
Bassist Sam Minaie and drummer JK Kim round out the quintet. Sam can be heard around the world with everyone from Tigran Hamasyan to Melody Gardot. He also mixed and mastered all of Still Time To Quit. JK has quickly made a name for himself as one of New York’s most in demand drummers.
Still Time To Quit does not conform to any of the stereotypes or that often befall contemporary jazz. This is a carefully curated band of the McCarthy’s favorite musicians making each other sound their best, with the natural chemistry in the band being apparent to the listener from the first track. It is abundantly clear that Chris McCarthy is a force to be reckoned with as one of New York’s finest young pianists. With his unique compositional approach and diverse array of collaborations, his stature in the global jazz scene will only continue to grow. Look for a second release from this quintet in 2021.
