The Ever Present Now by NICK FARR Review by Bill Binkelman  8/29/09

Keyboardist/pianist Nick Farr steers away from the smooth jazz leanings of his last CD, Keep Moving (at least for the most part) on The Ever Present Now, an album which showcases the artist's versatility (both performing and composing, as he wrote all the songs) across a variety of moods, tempos and styles of contemporary instrumental music. Working with a small group of accompanists (including Lyman Golden on guitars, basses, percussion and alto recorder, as well as daughter Marina Farr on bar chimes), Farr takes the listener on a multi-colored musical road trip, opening with the midtempo cheeriness of the title track (graced with Alan Nowell's sax playing) and ending on a note of somber nostalgia with "Shadow Green" (a mostly solo piano number with just a hint of added bass from Golden). In between are ten more tracks, all worth a listen for fans of accessible melodic instrumental music who want something a little less "jumpy" than smooth jazz but don't want anything too relaxing either.

More than a few of the songs carry a hint of the more reflective emotions, although melancholy is not that prevalent a mood. I'd instead paint some of the softer compositions here as being autumnal. A good example of that is "What Lies Ahead," which has a few dashes of drama here and there but is still low-key in its essence. Roger Whitt's French horn (he also contributed on percussion) and Nora Bach's oboe elevate this song to a special emotive place (note that Whitt also contributes on drums and percussion on the CD). The guitar refrain that opens "Not If, But When" is an album highlight, one of those oh-so-catchy yet not overly "poppish" series of notes that gets it so right. Of interest is that the track features only guitars - no piano or keyboards at all. Following that song is "Solace" and, once again, Farr displays a knack for crafting a solid musical hook, this time opening the cut with a great piano refrain that is later carried throughout the piece on other instruments, including Wilson's flute which wafts delicately over the piano.

The later tracks on the CD feature more solo piano than earlier selections, but the mood stays subdued (as on "In Search Of"). In essence, this is very much a hopeful and warm recording. "The Lost Chord" is a mildly uptempo romantic ballad while "Traveler" is positively spirited when compared to other songs on the CD and "Morning Coffee" features a smidgen of jazziness, just enough to spark a toe tapping or a finger keeping time on the steering wheel perhaps, especially when Nowell's sax enters the picture.

The Ever Present Now may be hard to pigeon hole into a specific category (at least one more specialized than "contemporary instrumental music") but hopefully it's enough to simply state that Farr (and company) make spending time with them an enjoyable enterprise thanks to their excellent musicianship and relaxed yet deeply felt performances. The music on this CD yields fulfillment played both in the background and listened to directly, thanks to solid production and engineering quality, too. Well done all around, folks!

Rating: Very Good

Bill Binkelman