Pianist Steve Million considers What I Meant to Say to be an extension (or perhaps a reintroduction) of his Four Friends band, which part of the Kansas City scene back in the late ’70s.
Four Friends originally consisted of Million, guitarist Gary Nelson, bassist Jeff Rendlen and drummer Arnold Young. The group was retooled upon Steve Cardenas’s entry with drummer Ron Vincent and bassist Greg Whitfield, who was in turn replaced by Gerald Spaits. Got that? Now it’s been updated again, with John Sims on bass.
Million and his quartet (not to be confused with the Million Dollar Quartet) have returned with a set of his tunes, some of which harken back to those days of yore. They “Open the Book” with the track of the same name, which Steve Million originally wrote for his daughter Peige. Like much of the recording, the gentle swing features both Million and Cardenas. Million’s understated piano here and throughout is expressive and enjoyable.
The zesty “Old Earl” follows. Here as elsewhere, Million’s piano and Cardenas’s guitar complement one another wonderfully. Cardenas especially shines, as he does on the title track which follows, newly written for What I Meant to Say. Of the others, the best may be “Waltz for Mr. Abercrombie.” Here bassist Sims gets a chance to shine as the group pays its respects to music inspired by the great guitarist John Abercrombie, and of course Cardenas is front and center as well.
Overall, most of the compositions on What I Meant to Say are gentle, enjoyable excursions. They are not intrusive yet are so much more than sonic wallpaper, much like those on ECM Records – the longtime home of Abercrombie. While Steve Million’s expressive playing is always a joy, what’s particularly noteworthy is how well it serves his compositions. And the contributions of his friends make it even more pleasurable.
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