Jump to content

Joe Chambers - Back on Blue Note


bertrand

Recommended Posts

Joe Chambers asked me to share the press release for his forthcoming Blue Note recording.
(Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in this recording)
On February 26, the venerated multi-instrumentalist and composer Joe Chambers will release ‘Samba de Maracatu’, a notable Blue Note Records return for a significant figure in the label’s history. The album’s Brazilian flavored title track, which is available today to stream or download, was composed by Chambers and features him performing vibraphone, drums, and percussion with Brad Merritt on keyboards and Steve Haines on bass. The album is a nine-song set of original compositions, standards, and pieces by Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, and Horace Silver.
In the mid-to-late 1960s, Chambers played drums for numerous Blue Note luminaries appearing on some of the decade’s most progressive albums including Shorter’s ‘Adam’s Apple’ and ‘Etcetera’, Hutcherson’s ‘Components’ and ‘Happenings’, Freddie Hubbard’s ‘Breaking Point’, Joe Henderson’s ‘Mode for Joe’, Sam Rivers’ ‘Contours’, Andrew Hill’s ‘Andrew!!!’, Donald Byrd’s ‘Fancy Free’, and many more.
The label’s owners – Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff – offered Chambers a chance to record his own album for the imprint during that fertile period, but he was riding so high on recording and touring with so many jazz greats that he declined the opportunity. Chambers eventually did release his own Blue Note debut ‘Mirrors’ in 1998 featuring trumpeter Eddie Henderson, saxophonist Vincent Herring, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and bassist Ira Coleman.
On 'Samba de Maracatu', Chambers asserts himself more as a mallet player, particularly on the vibraphone. Throughout the album, he uses the vibraphone as the lead melodic and improvisational voice that often converses with Merritt’s piano accompaniments and solos. While ‘Samba de Maracatu’ isn’t a Brazilian jazz album in the strictest sense, Chambers utilizes various rhythms and indigenous Brazilian percussion instruments on several pieces, including the title track, which references the syncretic Afro-Brazil rhythms that originated in the northeast region of Brazil.
Edited by bertrand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, bertrand said:

Any suggestions on how to remove all the blank spaces? They are not there when I edit, but show up when I post - I guess cut and paste does not work well here.

 

First, thanks for spreading the word. 

Only advice regarding editing the post is to try (if you haven't already) just deleting all the spaces - or - copy and paste in Notepad, remove the spaces and then c/p back here. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not even sure there will be an LP. Too much music to fit and remember the pact between all the labels that the CD and LP have to match note for note.

Backstory: this was going to be recorded in NYC and then everything shut down, so Joe recorded it in North Carolina where he lives. It was hard to find a studio...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, bertrand said:

I am not even sure there will be an LP. Too much music to fit and remember the pact between all the labels that the CD and LP have to match note for note.

Backstory: this was going to be recorded in NYC and then everything shut down, so Joe recorded it in North Carolina where he lives. It was hard to find a studio...

Can you provide any more information about this? I know it was brought up in the Sonny thread but I don't know when/why this became a pact with some labels not following it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Justin V said:

It's interesting how Blue Note is doing things.  It's like they throw a bone to fans of vintage Blue Note by signing Wayne Shorter, Joe Chambers and Dr. Lonnie Smith, while pursuing neo-soul/jazz fusion with their younger artists.  I guess that's about the best we can expect.

How has there still never been a Billy Harper Blue Note leader-date??

He was on Lee Morgan’s last Blue Note session, and a couple other BN dates too.

He’s a MONSTER player (and composer too) — still is!! — so you’d think it would be a no-brainer?!?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Justin V said:

It's interesting how Blue Note is doing things.  It's like they throw a bone to fans of vintage Blue Note by signing Wayne Shorter, Joe Chambers and Dr. Lonnie Smith, while pursuing neo-soul/jazz fusion with their younger artists.  I guess that's about the best we can expect.

They are releasing albums by younger Jazz musicians that aren't neo-soul/Jazz fusion. Joel Ross and Immanuel Wilkins are two examples.

So they're releasing new albums by elder statesmen, new albums by up and coming players and branching out into genres with a connection to Jazz that are popular with a wider market.  This alongside mining their back catalogue to meet a new demand in format and demographic.

Given the current market for music I'm not sure what else they should be doing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, mjazzg said:

They are releasing albums by younger Jazz musicians that aren't neo-soul/Jazz fusion. Joel Ross and Immanuel Wilkins are two examples.

So they're releasing new albums by elder statesmen, new albums by up and coming players and branching out into genres with a connection to Jazz that are popular with a wider market.  This alongside mining their back catalogue to meet a new demand in format and demographic.

Given the current market for music I'm not sure what else they should be doing.

This.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, mjazzg said:

They are releasing albums by younger Jazz musicians that aren't neo-soul/Jazz fusion. Joel Ross and Immanuel Wilkins are two examples.

So they're releasing new albums by elder statesmen, new albums by up and coming players and branching out into genres with a connection to Jazz that are popular with a wider market.  This alongside mining their back catalogue to meet a new demand in format and demographic.

Given the current market for music I'm not sure what else they should be doing.

I also forgot about Ambrose Akinmusire.  I don't believe I've heard Immanuel Wilkins.  When I saw Joel Ross with Marquis Hill, he split time between vibes and piano.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/31/2021 at 2:17 AM, BFrank said:

I saw Immanuel Wilkins last month in a streaming show with Orrin Evans. He was very good. See him if you get a chance.

I listened to his Blue Note album last week and enjoyed it.  Once the world returns to normal, I wouldn't be surprised if he plays in Cleveland.  I'd see him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

OMG, this is a really good record. Basically a bassist, a keyboardist, and Joe Chambers on everything else - vibes, drums, percussion. Yes there is overdubbing, and no, it's not in the least bit obvious.

Joe Chambers remains a master musician with something meaningful to say. And as a bandleader, his tempos and the pockets that spring from them...catch them while you can, ladies and gentlemen, when they're gone, they're gone, they ain't making any more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...