Alon Marcus Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 This is the album I've chosen. Will be glad to hear your opinions on the playing, orchestration and compositions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 I'm probably not going to get around to listening until later in the week. But one thing I remember is that Dewey Redman is terrific on this album, particularly on #3. I wish he appeared on more tracks. "Petals Danse" is a beautiful tune as well. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Very nice. But, being a big fan and follower of Tom's career IMO his recordings on other people's records in the 70s-80s and a lot of his leader dates on smaller labels were generally better than the BMG stuff. I liked Labyrinth. He really stretched out on that writing-wise and played a stunner of a solo on his chart called Hot Licks on the Sidewalk. This is not to say this is not a lovely album. I revisit it from time to time and enjoy it. The orchestrations are nice and well-thought out. The use of all the voices in the mix, his own included, is like a good director. Tom does that very well, establishes the sound as a writer, then lets the players speak. I guess my overall gripe is that the tunes were not his best, because he has some gems in his years, and not just a few. But where he might have been coming from was to explore rhythmic structures, grooves, and vamps. He definitely succeeded at that. Sometimes it's hard to tell with the larger labels why a recording gets made. I think part of the reason for this on was that either the label wanted to try something different, or Harrell did---or both. And they have the budget for larger projects, so why not? I still like recordings like Form, Passages, Stories, Sail Away, etc. better, and let's not even talk about his trumpet playing with Horace, Bill Evans, Harold Danko, Ronnie Cuber, etc. etc.---going all the way back to my old friend Bob Mover who I just saw and heard tonight, and who first told me "I have this amazing trumpet player in my band" 30 years ago. I went to Sweet Basil, fell in love, and never looked back..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Marcus Posted July 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 (edited) I'd like to say few negative things about this recording. The tunes most of the time are weaker than usual. The first track with the clarinet is too much sweet and smoothy, I don't like it. Doo Bop is annoying. It's one of those post-modern-hardbop songs that you get tired of before you figure out what's going on there. Almost every new album from a young jazz lion contains sophisticated tunes of that type, which are no more than trying to connect with a stinky glue used patterns from old Blue Note masters. I like Harrell because usually he avoids that kind of writing and composes clear, simple and beautiful melodies. I don't like Dewey Redman on that record, especially not on the third track "Oasis". His solos are meaningless and boring on this date. Maybe because a player like him needs more space to spread his creativity wings, and more solo time to develop ideas. Edited July 3, 2006 by Alon Marcus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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