Something was missing each of the several times I’ve attended a performance by Sullivan Fortner. The pianist was never less than masterful, but even when I sat a few feet from the pianist at Mezzrow in 2017, I got the sense that Fortner was holding back.
The promise Fortner previously bottled up is spilled on Leave That In There. Accompanied by bassist Tyrone Allen II and drummer Kayvon Gordon on the new plugged-in album, Fortner lets his freak flag fly. Even the organ jazz workouts “Swirl” and “Aria II” are trippy.
I hope Fortner isn’t in a hurry to return to conventional mainstream jazz. When he does revisit the sound that made his reputation, I’m confident the newly liberated Fortner will elect “to leave that in there.”