Shawn Purcell, Oblivity Review

Shawn Purcell’s Oblivity: Elegance in Motion

By Nolan DeBuke

Oblivity is Shawn Purcell leading and ensemble as a guitarist of fluidity and grace. He reveals he is a composer of rare elegance throughout the ten compositions. His writing balances structure, pacing, and detail with a clarity that invites deep listening. The ensemble delivers each piece with palpable chemistry, and the album speaks to the art of modern jazz, commanding and deeply musical.

The ensemble around him brings equal parts to the project’s success. Tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf provides a muscular, lyrical counterpoint to Purcell. Darden Purcell’s voice adds timbral richness and expressive nuance, particularly in the Brazilian-inflected and ballad settings. Ben Patterson’s trombone deepens the ensemble texture, while Chris Ziemba’s piano and Rhodes offer harmonic breadth and solo colors. Anchoring it all, Jeff Reed’s bass delivers stability and propulsion, and drummer Steve Fidyk shapes the music with crisp swing, textural variety, and keen dynamic sensitivity. Together, they form the various ensembles whose chemistry fills the listening moments with intuitive and fully integrated collaborations.

“Oblivity” is the perfect opening statement for the set. Purcell’s writing and playing have a buoyant swing, built on melodies with angular melodic cells. Purcell and Weiskopf’s unison lines are executed with clarity, offering a buzzing drive for the theme. Purcell’s solo showcases his command of line construction: long, fluid phrases that move effortlessly through harmonic turns. The surprise is the guitar synth, which swings with conviction, adding color without distracting from the tune’s straight-ahead roots.

A larger brings “Quiet the Chaos” to life, highlighting Purcell’s structural logic and form. The motivic development is patient and logical, with themes introduced and expanded across sections. Weiskopf delivers a commanding statement, his tenor building on the ensemble with bold harmonic choices and driving rhythm. Behind him, Fidyk’s drumming shows micro-responsive chemistry, shaping phrases with subtle cymbal accents that mirror the soloist’s contour. Purcell follows with a fluid solo, threading rhythmic displacement into lines that never lose their melodic clarity and direction.

Offering another color in orchestration is “Verdigris.” Darden Purcell’s voice enters as an instrument of textural color. The ensemble demonstrates remarkable ability in shaping the group’s phrases into long waves. Purcell’s solo, set against Reed’s grounding bass, is conversational with lyrical, unhurried, and harmonically daring shapes. The interplay characterizes the group chemistry as every phrase feels supported.

“Primaries and Spares” is constructed around rhythmic interplay; this tune brings out the ensemble’s kinetic energy. Ziemba on Fender Rhodes adds a modern color, giving the groove a distinct timbral identity. Weiskopf’s improvisation is marked by seamless fluidity. Purcell colors his guitar to allow his phrases to fold into the Rhodes sound with liquid ease. Fidyk’s drumming and Reed’s bass feel drive the tune without overpowering.

Without horns or vocals, “Gentle Giant” reveals the core rhythm section’s chemistry. Purcell’s melodic playing takes center stage, balancing subtle chord voicings with single-line lyricism. Reed’s bass is strong in his supportive lines, anchoring the harmony while pushing the motion forward. The result is a clear example of Purcell’s elegance in writing and performing. His jazz box guitar sound is used to maximum expressive effect.

“Lazy Day Reverie” is a composition of contrasting melodies that draws on swing lyricism. This track is colored by Darden Purcell’s vocal nuance and Patterson’s trombone. Darden’s phrasing is supple allowing the melody to take on a beautiful character. Weiskopf’s solo digs into the relaxed medium swing feel and is musical and storied. Purcell uses a warm distortion on his guitar tone for his solo. The added sustain displays his legato phrasing. The well-written background figures support Ziemba’s communicative solo. The writing in the composition echoes vocal contour, reflecting Purcell’s compositional awareness.

“Meu Amor” is a romantic Brazilian-inflected piece, this one highlights the ensemble’s ability to communicate and establish a relaxed mood. Fidyk’s and Reed’s playing lend authenticity, and Darden blends beautifully with the guitar and voice tutti interlude. Purcell’s solo is lyrical, harmonically rich, and rhythmically relaxed. The writing demonstrates Purcell’s grasp of orchestration as a vocabulary of expression.

A straight-ahead swinger, “Sunday Best” showcases Purcell’s hard-bop lineage. The head arrangement is bluesy and well-voiced, and riff-based. Weiskopf’s solo balances flurries with catchy bluesy figures to tell his story. Purcell’s solo offers contrast of swing with eighth and sixteenth note phrasing. Reed’s solo is woody and bluesy; his agile lines speak from the heart. The chemistry between the ensemble is again at the forefront, particularly in their trade-offs and perfectly executed unisons.

A rhythmic workout, “Move the Needle” thrives on an up-tempo swing feel. The opening improvisation by Ziemba brings in the post-bop melody. Weiskopf’s solo channels the rich heritage of the hard-bop blues and truth in rhythm. Purcell plays with precision and urgency, his lines sparking forward with a distorted tone. Fidyk’s drumming builds with controlled crescendos, while Reed’s bass anchors the swing rhythmic emphasis. The ensemble listens acutely, making the performance feel alive.

The closer, “Flow,” ties the album together with a sense of ease and inevitability in a contemporary jazz setting. Purcell’s use of guitar synth returns, integrated seamlessly into the texture. His solo demonstrates both technical command and melodic restraint, leaving space for Ziemba and Fidyk to respond. The tune encapsulates the album’s themes of compositional elegance, playing fluidity, and ensemble balance.

Oblivity is the kind of album that shows modern jazz continues to thrive. Purcell’s writing unfolds with elegance, with every tune shaped with care, balancing sophistication and accessibility. The ensemble plays with remarkable unity, each soloist contributing distinct colors without breaking the flow of the whole. From high-energy swing to lush Brazilian textures, the album never feels scattered; instead, it unfolds as a cohesive journey, marked by fluid improvisation, dynamic responsiveness, and genuine musical conversation. It’s a project that showcases Purcell’s musicality and the collective vitality of a deeply attuned ensemble.