Billy Mohler: The Eternal
Contagious Music

If you're a Billy Mohler fan, you get the best of both worlds on The Eternal. Eight of the thirteen cuts feature the acoustic bassist with his recently formed West Coast quartet featuring guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Damion Reid, and alto saxophonist Devin Daniels, while the remaining five feature Mohler unaccompanied, his gripping bass artistry front and centre. Like Mats Eilertsen, Dave Holland, and Mike Downes, Mohler's the kind of acoustic bassist whose riveting playing commands attention when heard alone, the “Eternal” interludes cases in point. His formidable technique was developed through studies at Berklee College of Music and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, and the bassist has appeared on soundtracks and worked as a session bassist, producer, and songwriter with many a non-jazz artist, including Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, Nile Rogers, and others.

Produced by Dan Seeff, recorded at Lucy's Meat Market, and issued on Dayna Stevens' Contagious imprint, the album's a bare-bones affair, visually speaking, and the performances feel like raw first takes. Stylistically, The Eternal falls within contemporary jazz, but, truth be told, the music holds tangential connection to the form as generally defined. The rhythms Mohler and Reid devise to power the quartet largely steer clear of swing in that time-honoured sense of the word; instead, the two deliver muscular grooves that have more in common with the seething electric jazz of Miles's Live-Evil. Such a detail shouldn't surprise, given Mohler's versatility and Parker's history with Chicago's post-rock outfit Tortoise, and the band plays with a kind of feverish, no-holds-barred abandon.

Unlike a previous Mohler quartet with tenor saxophonist Chris Speed, trumpeter Shane Endsleym, and drummer Nate Wood, the new one includes a chordal accompanying instrument in Parker's guitar. That in no way restricts the music, however; on the contrary, his playing's always complementary to what's happening in the moment. Reed's a powerhouse who's worked with Steve Coleman and Rudresh Maranthappa, while Daniels distinguished himself on a release of his own in 2024. The bassist's solid pulse is often the stabilizing centre for the fiery Daniels on the one side and the volcanic Reid on the other, with Parker choosing his spots and enhancing the performances with texture when not contributing a tasteful solo. The compositions Mohler crafted for the recording offer superb stages for his biting tone and the others' furious attack.

With the leader setting the tone with a funky pattern, “Those Who Know” introduces the set strongly with a bruising, rock-inflected groove, the band tight, seething, and snarling. Parker and Daniels deliver the punchy theme in unison before the saxophonist tears into the first of many incendiary solos on the album. Lest anyone think the quartet isn't capable of dialing it down, “Reflection” follows the opener with a sophisticated ballad rich in texture and sensitivity. Daniels purrs and the guitarist paints tremolo atmospheres in this brief yet memorable statement. Inhabiting a middle ground between the opening pair is the “Hawk Wind,” which layers exotic unison expressions over a spellbinding bass pulse and toms-driven drumming. Daniels demonstrates his own versatility in serving up an acrobatic, blues-tinged solo, while Parker's smouldering turn calls to mind early Carlos Santana more than any classic jazz guitarist.

November 2025