AOTW August 7 (thanks FFA!)

[Big Al]

(Due to a family emergency, mikeweil asked if we could switch weeks. So Mike will be filling this space NEXT week.)

Talk about an aptly titled album!

This album is one of those few that makes me feel genuinely joyful. And most of that joy comes from the leadoff track, "On a Misty Night." The way the french horns announce the band, the way the crack of Philly Joe's snare leads the rest of the band onto the stage, this is about the happiest exorcism on record. It is literally the sound of a man finally breaking free from his demons.

Okay, maybe that's a bit much to read into one song; and knowing that this was Dameron's final album under his name, not to mention that it wasn't the end of the road as far as his demons were concerned, kinda acts as the opposite of what I was hearing in it. But still, there's so much hope to be gleaned from it: as if to say, "I'm free! And I'm gonna make the most of my new chance!"

Philly Joe is the drummer on this album, and for my money, this is the perfect setting for Philly. He knows how to accentuate certain beats, fills the spaces with that snappy snare sound of his, and has a lovely sensitivity when accompanying ballads that belie the irascible nature of the man playing. Having said that, though, one thing he ain't is a so-called "Latin" player. The liner notes state that "Bevan's Birthday" is a "Latin-flavored" bit, but to hear Philly play those licks, he sounds absolutely lost. But once past the theme statements, he redeems himself nicely when it starts to swing in the pulse that suits him best.

And those flutes! Especially on "Fontainebleau" and "Just Plain Talkin.'" Words fail me at this late hour, but they serve as big a purpose whether stating the theme, or adding colorful commentary.

The only real downers on this album are the vocals. And IMHO, they are awful. I've yet to sit through them all the way through; I always hit the "skip" button. And it's a shame, too, cuz "If You Could See Me Now" is about as heartbreaking as a ballad gets. Check out Chet Baker's version on his Riverside date, or Bill Evans (who's on this album as well as the Chet album just mentioned) and his trio's version on his Moon Beams album. Here, it sounds as if someone was recorded at 45 rpm and replayed at 16 rpm.

Finally, there's "Swift as the Wind" which is really "Smooth as the Wind," only played.... well, "swifter!" Contrast this with Blue Mitchell's sumptuous version on his own Riverside date (sidenote: I don't know if such a thing exists, but I love the "Riverside sound" (for lack of a better term)! I don't know what caused that sound: if it was the way the mikes were set, the way the players played, or if it was just the general atmosphere, but I find this sound to be as consistent as the RVG sound on all those Blue Notes from the same era). Ironically, Dameron scored Mitchell's version, and while that version highlighted a highly lyrical trumpet player, Clark Terry's attack on the present version is (or should be) just as important. He doesn't just keep the beat: he leads it!!!

Alright folks: fire away!

Edited August 8, 2005 by Big Al

[Free For All]

You meant August 7th I assume.

[Big Al]

That’ll teach me to start an AOTW at the stroke of midnight!

[mikeweil]

What?!?! No more responses to such a great album?

Thanks again, Al, for stepping up - reporting back in for board duties after a trip 300 miles and back ...

... thanks for being welcomed with a choice that could have been mine! I have a special thing going on with Dameron, as we were both born on February 21. That beauty he often refers to as his primary goal in writing is something I can relate to on a very deep level.

I find the vocals are appropriate - the beboppers had a taste of their own concerning vocalists (Earl Coleman, Kenny Hagood, Kay Penton), and Barbara Winfield fits in great, I think - no ondulations, just a straight reading of the lyrics, I kind of like the color of her voice. (Is there anything else she recorded?)

A chance to hear the seldom soloing Tate Houston .....

Tadd's writing is so great, with nice melodic parts for everyone, and that's the reason these all-stars love dto play them. Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, and Charlie Shavers or Joe Wilder - what a trumpet section! Jimmy Cleveland, Britt Woodman, and Julius Watkins (only one Frenchie here, Al .....) - and where else do we get to hear Ron Carter and Philly Joe Jones together? (I think he has his own very peculiar way of playing latinized rhythms, like nobody else does.)

Great album by one of the great writers in jazz! Great choice!

[Big Al]

I find the vocals are appropriate - the beboppers had a taste of their own concerning vocalists (Earl Coleman, Kenny Hagood, Kay Penton), and Barbara Winfield fits in great, I think - no ondulations, just a straight reading of the lyrics, I kind of like the color of her voice. (Is there anything else she recorded?)

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You make a good point, especially where Kenny Hagood is concerned. Still doesn't make it any easier to listen to, but a good point nonetheless!

[TheMusicalMarine]

Dameron is my favorite arranger, and I love this album. Agree wholeheartedly with Big Al's high regard for "On A Misty Night". Prefer this version to the one on Mating Call and the one Chet Baker did on Prestige.