Jeff Parker ETA IVtet - The Way Out Of Easy (2024 International Anthem 2LP Gatefold)

Jeff Parker ETA IVtet - The Way Out Of Easy Double Vinyl LP - 2024 International Anthem/Nonesuch Gatefold with Obi

Guitarist Jeff Parker's latest project captures his quartet live at ETA in Highland Park, Los Angeles on 2 January 2023, the four extended improvisations showcasing Parker's distinctive approach to contemporary jazz. Featuring alto saxophonist Josh Johnson (amplified with electronics), bassist Anna Butterss (amplified double bass), and drummer Jay Bellerose, the quartet explores the intersection of avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, and experimental music through Parker's processed guitar and sampling alongside acoustic instruments treated electronically. Released on 22 November 2024 by International Anthem Recording Company and Nonesuch, this double LP pressed at Pallas in Germany with lacquers cut by Daniel K at SST includes gatefold jacket, IARC obi strip, and poly-lined printed inner sleeves.

Parker's approach synthesises his background in Chicago's experimental jazz scene (Tortoise, Chicago Underground) with contemporary electronic processing and West Coast creative music. His electric guitar, filtered through electronics and samplers, creates textures that blur boundaries between composition and improvisation, while Johnson's amplified alto saxophone with electronics adds complementary processed sounds. Butterss' amplified double bass and Bellerose's drums and percussion provide both foundation and colour, the quartet's interaction demonstrating collective improvisation at its most contemporary.

The four tracks across two LPs allow extended exploration, each piece developing organically through the quartet's interaction rather than predetermined structures. Parker's use of sampling and live processing creates layered textures that reference hip-hop production techniques while maintaining jazz's improvisational core. Recorded live by Bryce Gonzales, the session captures the quartet's chemistry in real time. Pressed at Germany's prestigious Pallas plant on classic black 140g vinyl with Daniel K's SST lacquer cutting, this gatefold edition includes International Anthem's signature obi strip and poly-lined inner sleeves.