Is it July already?
TRACK ONE - This is like one of those Bird blues heads that bounces around and lands by not landing. I don't recognize it as being a Bird tune, though. And when solos come, it's irrelevant, that head. They go into plain blues stylings. I like the tenor well enough. Nothing really distinctive, but very competent, they'd done the work. I like the guitar better, a lot of coherence in those lines. And then they do the organ trick of holding one note while comping under it. That's a nice touch. Overall, I don't think I'd buy this record, but in this context, I enjoyed it well enough!
TRACK TWO - Uh, no. Too imitative. It's not a Wayne Blakey tune, and waltzes are the last refuge of scoundrels! What I hear is people connecting other peoples' dots. Tenor player has the veneer of a personal tone (Warne meets Eddie Daniels?!?!?), but the ideas betray the lack of real original thought. Trumpet is in that post-Tom Harrell zone and does it well. I'd like to hear what he has to say on his own. Overall, a minor irritant, this one is. But maybe I'm just not in the mood for it. I know I'm not, in fact. But that's just me.
TRACK THREE - Ok, this I like from jump, it's got the bounce. And then the Rhodes! Is this Tony Allen? No matter, what I like is how the soloists saty in theOne pocket instead of just spewing random jazz licks everywhere. Trombone player is DOWN!!!! Yeah, this works.
TRACK FOUR - This sounds like a Tony Williams group soundalike project. Not that there's anything wrong with that...or right either. Tenor player has that "pleading" thing going on that I think comes from Brecker, and...I don't like it. No sir, I don't like it. I'll leave it at that.
TRACK FIVE - Now there ya' go. LOVE bass recorded like this. Trumpet is probably either Donald Byrd or Blue Mitchell, one of the Hard Bop "cool" players (as opposed to the "hot players like Lee & Freddie). Rhythm section is SO in the pocket. This has to be real time, not retro, it's too natural a flow for it to not be anything else.
TRACK SIX - That opening format...it could be anybody. Anybody good that is. Definitely a Rudy Record, that reverb is tied so tight to the instruments, so wonderful. Ok, there Clark Terry and a tenor player, getting right in there with it. And - that is Buddy Tate. Talk about telling a story, there one is. You can only tell a story if you have a story to tell. Hello, Buddy Tate!
TRACK SEVEN - Not sure who this might be. It's an organic group vibe, that's for sure. Sounds like it's existing in the outflow of the 60s Hard Bop into a bit more expansive palate. Sounds quite real to me. Ok, tenor is in that zone of all language no licks, love it when that happens! Same here with the trumpet. Sounds like some kind of lost Strata-East side by people whose names we may or may not recognize. Very welcome vibes out of this one!
A lot of blues changes of one kind or another up to this point. Is this intentional?
TRACK EIGHT - That's Dewey. Love Dewey. Loving this drummer too, bits and pieces of Max/Roy/Blackwell/Motian, all of the good and none of the copying. Geez, I love Dewey. So free, so grounded, so vocal. Sounds like home. WHO IS THIS DRUMMER?!?!?!?!?! Bass player is doing what is called for, and doing it well. Well, there's a piano and it's not Keith, so....ok. There's a thing happening there, not sure if it's Dewey's thing, but they stand their ground, make their case, and....ok, respect given. WHO IS THAT DRUMMER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? That's a good 'un!
TRACK NINE - Concept is a little dated by now, but most things are. The two horns are very empathetic and THAT quality is never dated. My hunch is that it's younger players for whom personally this might still be new ground. I hear them speaking and they sound sincere and focused. That is also a quality that is never dated. I hope there's another side that they come out of this into. I wnat to hear it if and when it happens.
TRACK TEN - That's a Duke thing, from The First Sacred Concert. There were three of them, all of them most worthy, my favorite remains the Second, but as the opener of the First, cards are laid on the table straight out the gate. Vocalist on the original was Brock Peters, and this is not that, but the original was a lot more intricate of a composition. This sounds more like a Joe Lee Wilson jam, but I don't think that's who it is. There's a choir/"choir" that is being used judiciously, and the bass player is driving that bus ALL the way home. I like it well enough, it is definitely doing for them what they want it to, but...maybe some original lyrics would have been nice, becuase I am unable to take it completely on its own terms, knowing the Ellington, and this type of passion does not need that type of distraction. Then again, maybe I should not allow for that type of distraction myself?
TRACK ELEVEN - Oh my! This seems like a more modern day Gerry Mulligan type thing, it's sincere and it feels good, and that should maybe be enough, but otoh, this is about as good as these people are going to get it, and that's ok, but...there are more things to get and I don't think that these people are going to get there (not that they want to). But I have a lot of Gerry Mulligan records and enjoy them just fine (I wouldn't have a lot if I didn't!). But in comparison with some of the other stuff on here...but I sound like an asshole about this and I don't want to, so let me just say that this one is just fine, I do like it! Trombone player especially! And buy some Gerry Mulligan records, they're quite often quite good!
So, "mixed bag"? Maybe, but mostly 👍 to one degree or another. #s 2 & $ are the only ones that are at all irksome.
Thanks!
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
This member has had his account deleted and I'm sure it would be best for all concerned if we cancel his ass here as thoroughly as possible. So that's what we are going to do in this thread.