Kenny Drew - "Undercurrent"

[sal]

Had not heard this one before getting my RVG in the mail yesterday. What a nice session! Excellent original compositions! The playing by all is superb. I've always enjoyed Kenny's playing, particularly with Dexter Gordon, but on this session he seems to really stand out as a special, unique player. I'd never thought of him like this before. Not sure how previous issues of this one sounded, but the sound on this RVG is very warm and clear. I LOVE the way RVG captured the sound of the drums on this session. But anyways, this session is superb, and really stands out for me, particularly at a time where alot of this hard bop is beginning to sound monotonous.

[Dan Gould]

I was fortunate to snap this up when it was a regular reissue in the late 80s, and I've always loved it. I think every session Kenny Drew did on the label is a keeper.

[Guest donald petersen]

i agree with sal. this session is a cut above.

the original compostions are all very interesting. and the playing is nice. i am usually not a louis hayes fan but he sounds good on this one.

[Claude]

I'm currently getting some of the great sounding Classic Records DAD discs (DVDs with 24bit/96kHz sound), and this session is on my priority list.

http://www.classicrecords.com/catalog/stor...fm?sku=DAD-1024

[sidewinder]

First rate BN session - I'll dig out the King Records pressing this weekend.

[Noj]

Sounds like a good one, nice lineup.

It shares its title with another I want to pick up, with one of the coolest album covers ever:

[Dan Gould]

Sounds like a good one, nice lineup.

It shares its title with another I want to pick up, with one of the coolest album covers ever:

That "other" one is a snoozer, Noj. Be sure and get the KD first.

[Noj]

The tunes don't live up to the cover, eh Dan? Thanks for the heads up.

[Dan Gould]

The tunes don't live up to the cover, eh Dan? Thanks for the heads up.

Give it a day or two and I'm sure there are plenty who will come to its defense. but now you know where I stand.

[jeffsjazz]

UNDERCURRENT is all that !! A dynamite BN session,kudos to all players involved,especially the leader.Bill Evans is a sweeeet recording also,just a wee bit more introspective-but excellent.

[Peter Friedman]

Undercurrent (Kenny Drew) is a terrific album. Probably because he spent so many years in Europe, Drew seems to have been overlooked when top level jazz piano players are discussed. Kenny Drew has a large number of recordings available under his own name, but the vast majority are not on American labels.

He has many recordings on Steeplechase, and many on the Japanese Alfa and Baystate labels. I have most of them and enjoy them all immensely.

I was in strong agreement with Dan Gould when discussing Joe Zawinul recently on another thread. However when it comes to the Bill Evans/Jim Hall recording Dan and I part ways. While 180 degrees different in style from the Kenny Drew session, the Evans/Hall is simply a great recording. As has been said, it is introspective, but filled with beautiful playing by both artists. There are lots wonderful cooking hard bop sessions out there, and I love an awful lot of them. But the number of low key jazz recordings played with great depth of feeling that results in classic beauty of very high quality is much less common.

[Chuck Nessa]

The tunes don't live up to the cover, eh Dan? Thanks for the heads up.

Give it a day or two and I'm sure there are plenty who will come to its defense. but now you know where I stand.

OK, I'll step in. Dan has a very narrow ([un]refined) taste.

I enjoy both.

FWIW, Dan stands with his feet in the mud.

Edited February 9, 2007 by Chuck Nessa

[Noj]

I don't mind introspective sounds. I'll get both and see for myself. Probably keep the Evans/Hall for the artwork even if I don't like the music.

[Chuck Nessa]

I don't mind introspective sounds. I'll get both and see for myself. Probably keep the Evans/Hall for the artwork even if I don't like the music.

FWIW, the original artwork was b/w printed on a cream colored, textured stock. No type on the front. The type you see above was from the back of the "gatefold" cover. The current reissue is a better repro of the original intentions. The original was lovely but probably anti-sales.

[Aggie87]

I don't mind introspective sounds. I'll get both and see for myself. Probably keep the Evans/Hall for the artwork even if I don't like the music.

FWIW, the original artwork was b/w printed on a cream colored, textured stock. No type on the front. The type you see above was from the back of the "gatefold" cover. The current reissue is a better repro of the original intentions. The original was lovely but probably anti-sales.

Here is the '02 cd reissue, as Chuck is describing (with the somewhat wavy text inside the spine, or whatever you call that spot):

Edited February 9, 2007 by Aggie87

[marcello]

I always thought the art work was/is strange.

The front cover is as Chuck says with the photo in B&W, as shown above.

"Package Design - Gauna - Douglas" Meaning Alan Douglas and the photographer, Frank Gauna.

[JSngry]

The cover photo is from 1947, and was done by Toni Frissell, who called it "Midsummer Night's Dream": http://www.artnet.de/Artists/LotDetailPage...F8B917E22559FDC

Somewhere on the Web there is (used to be?) a collection of other shots from this same shoot. All are intereesting, but this one was the real grabber, imo.

Edited February 9, 2007 by JSngry

[marcello]

Thanks, Jim

[BruceH]

I agree about the Kenny Drew Undercurrent RVG---very nice session, a couple of notches better than I expected.

(I also think the Bill Evans/Jim Hall Undercurrent is a hellava good album too, in it's very different way, and much better than the album cover might lead you to believe.)

[John L]

I agree with everybody on this thread.

I love Kenny Drew's Undercurrents.

I also agree that the Bill Evans/Jim Hall record is a great piece of work, and I agree that it is a snoozer.

[Quincy]

I agree about the Kenny Drew Undercurrent RVG---very nice session, a couple of notches better than I expected.

Somehow I picked this up fairly early once I began to venture beyond just Miles & Coltrane recordings. I knew about Drew through Dexter and probably felt a level of comfort given that Mobley & Hubbard were on it. I'm guessing it was my 1st piano led quintet that didn't involve Monk. Not that I keep score about such things, just guessing. I thought it might be pretty good, but I like way more than pretty good. Highly recommended, and I'm glad it's back in print.

(I also think the Bill Evans/Jim Hall Undercurrent is a hellava good album too, in it's very different way, and much better than the album cover might lead you to believe.)

She's not dead you know, she's just floating!

[Big Wheel]

The version of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" from the Evans CD is glorious.

[Chuck Nessa]

Back to the Drew recording - I'll never forget the day Ann came home from a garage sale (1974) with NM copies of Undercurrent, Parlan's Speakin' My Piece and Monk's Brilliant Corners. IIRC, the total price was under $6.

[BruceH]

Back to the Drew recording - I'll never forget the day Ann came home from a garage sale (1974) with NM copies of Undercurrent, Parlan's Speakin' My Piece and Monk's Brilliant Corners. IIRC, the total price was under $6.

Nice!

[BruceH]

(I also think the Bill Evans/Jim Hall Undercurrent is a hellava good album too, in it's very different way, and much better than the album cover might lead you to believe.)

She's not dead you know, she's just floating!

I know, but it's still kinda disturbing.

(But what do I know, I think the original cover to There's A Riot Goin' On is one of the best album covers of all time.)