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| 1. | Snake Eyes
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| 2. | Shape Shifting
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| 3. | A Walk In Serendipity
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| 4. | Love Transforms
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| 5. | Two Heartbeats
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| 6. | Oveida
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| 7. | Pas De Trois
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| 8. | Blues For J.A.
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| 9. | Carmen
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Jazz
Billy Jabali Hart - drums
John Hicks - piano
Curtis Lundy - bass
Steve Nelson - vibes
Mark Shim - tenor saxophone
Andrew Wonsey - piano
When Curtis Lundy came to New York, then and now the capital of the jazz world, in 1978, with a beautiful sound on his chosen instrument and a head full of new music steeped in the modern jazz tradition, times were not great. The previous ten years saw an attrition of the jazz audience; some were seduced by FM rock or fusion, others ran from the controversy of the tradition versus the avant garde and many just became overwhelmed with jobs, kids and mortgages. And when the record business took an economic nosedive at that time, jazz was among the first casualties in the cutbacks. Curtis's discovery of the acoustic bass and the depth and range of jazz set him on a course; he was driven to keep a tradition alive, to develop, and to contribute to it. He had purpose. And through the years, despite personal or financial setbacks or upheavals, he has never lost sight of that purpose. This album, recorded 24 years after his arrival in New York, is a testament to that purpose.
One Friday night in 1979, Art Blakey asked me to come to Mikell's, where he was holding open auditions in order to put together a new edition of the Jazz Messengers. At the time, Bobby Watson was alto saxophonist, musical director and straw boss for the Messengers, and anxious to pursue a group of his own. The highlight of that night was a 20-year-old Julliard student whom, Art later informed me, was Ellis Marsalis's kid. Art hired him on the spot. We all thought it was a bright spot on the jazz horizon that such a young musician should be so well-equipped in the idiom. Columbia signed Wynton; they created a press frenzy and some decent sales. Soon, companies were recording new faces playing jazz. But America is the land of formulas and sequels. As the eighties advanced, companies started to look for similar opportunities. A 16 year old saxophonist here, a 14 year old pianist there: a jazz talent search became a race to find the youngest musician who can play convincingly and look good in an Italian suit. I'll never forget the pained expression on Bobby Watson's face in 1986 when he said, "I'm 33 and I'm over the hill! I can't get a record deal because I'm too old! What sense does that make?" Well, very little, but that's actually the way it was for a while. It took a lot of stamina and commitment for the few jazz musicians, who came up in the seventies, to hang in there and keep the tradition alive - especially when less experienced young unknowns were making records left and right.
It was Bobby, an exceptional saxophonist, composer and arranger who introduced me to Curtis Lundy, a young man so intense and serious that he laughed with a straight face. When I met him, I was struck by his distinctive style of clothing; on and off the bandstand, he was always well-dressed in a tasteful, co-ordinated sport jacket, shirt and slacks often with tie and/or chapeau. He explained to me that his purpose was to perpetuate and spread the jazz tradition and that he wanted every aspect of his being to reflect a respect and dignity for the music. His commitment ran deep (still does).
One of the first evenings that we spent together was illuminating for me. Curtis has ears and spent the entire night rifling through my Blue Note collection and popping on obscure tunes that were pure gems. And if you don't think being a great listener is a significant part of musicianship, check out Curtis's compositions A Walk In Serendipity and Love Transforms on this album. They are built from the bass line up with a rhythm in the pocket and a flow to the melody line and chord progression. They are in the great tradition of the tunes he was yanking off my shelves 20 years ago. Curtis has ears.
Curtis gained invaluable experience on the New York scene with a variety of artists but his stints with Betty Carter and Johnny Griffin were probably the most influential and visible. All the while, he and Bobby Watson were forging an alliance, which remains to this day and which produced their superb band Horizon, a keeper of the flame throughout the '80s. Tired of waiting for a major label to record them, they formed New Note, which produced Horizon's Beatitudes in 1983 and Curtis's first album as leader Just Be Yourself in 1987. However, the demands of their musical careers and an eventual deal with Blue Note put that venture on the back burner. For his third album as a leader, second for Justin Time, Curtis has fashioned a wonderfully blended group that works so well that it already has its own sound. The sidemen he has chosen struck a powerful empathy. Billy Hart and John Hicks, born in 1940 and '41 respectively, are the veterans here. Both are consummate and ubiquitous musicians who have always been very open-minded musically, which accounts for their longevity and vitality as artists. Hicks, who plays on A Walk In Serendipity, his own Two Heartbeats and pianist Paul Arslanian's Pas De Toi, first played with Curtis in Betty Carter's band and was a frequent member of Horizon in the '80s.
At age 48, Steve Nelson is Lundy's contemporary. An outstanding musician on a neglected instrument, this vibist gained immediate acceptance when he hit New York in 1980 playing with Kenny Barron and David Newman among others. He appeared on Lundy's 1987 album. On this session, he's responsible for the aptly named Shape Shifting. Mark Shim and Anthony Wonsey are the youngsters of this ensemble. Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, tenor saxophonist Shim was a student in the excellent jazz program at William Patterson College in New Jersey which gave him proximity to New York where he became a member of the Mingus Big Band. Betty Carter proved a major supporter and brought him to Blue Note Records in 1996. His first album Mind Over Matter included Lundy on bass and contained the first versions of his Snake Eyes and Curtis's ballad Oveida. He has a clean articulation on tenor that is reminiscent of Wardell Gray and he¹s a a wonderful soloist with a solid foundation and a healthy sense of adventure.
The same can be said of pianist Wonsey, a Berklee graduate who has worked with Roy Hargrove, Kenny Garrett, Carl Allen and, most frequently, Nicolas Payton. Listen to the choices he makes during his solo on Love Transforms; his is a very fresh musical mind. His compositional contribution here is Carmen, dedicated to Curtis's vocalist sister. Anthony appeared on both previous Lundy family CDs on Justin Time (Curtis's Against All Odds and Carmen's This Is Carmen Lundy).
Each musician on this album is an accomplished, creative artist and each plays superbly and concisely, but what makes this album something special is the empathy that these men were able to forge and share. The distinctive sound of this ensemble is beautifully recorded. The material is carefully chosen not just for suitability but also for the variety and pacing necessary for a truly rewarding listening experience.This is music with a purpose.
---Michael Cuscuna, April, 2002
Curtis Lundy
Active Decades: '80s, '90s and '00s
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Standards
Bassist Curtis Lundy (brother of Carmen Lundy) is best-known for his work as part of jazz vocalist Betty Carter's band, which has at one point or another had several eventual renowned musicians pass through their ranks (including Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, and Don Braden, among others). Lundy has also played on other jazz artist's recordings (including select albums by John Hicks, Bobby Watson, Steve Nelson Quintet, Johnny Griffin, etc.) and in the late '80s briefly stepped out of the background and issued Just Be Yourself (1988). A decade later he united with Justin Time Records for Against All Odds (1999), followed shortly thereafter by Purpose (2002). Both albums features pianists John Hicks and Anthony Wonsey.
---Greg Prato, All Music Guide |
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