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Kérjen
árajánlatot! |
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| 1. | Caravan
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| 2. | You Got Ti My Head
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| 3. | I Could Write A Book
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| 4. | Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
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| 5. | Straight Ahead
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| 6. | Fire Waltz
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| 7. | I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
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| 8. | Every Time We Say Goodbye
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Jazz
Jeanne Lee - vocals,
Mal Waldron - performer, piano
This is number 2 of the OWL series that Sunnyside is offering in the US. The french OWL label (now owned by Universal Music) became the most important French jazz label of the 80's. The quality of the recordings and the esthetic of the art made the reputation of the label.
Recorded in 1994, After Hours is where the magnificent Jean Lee met the iconic Mal Waldron. Today, the absence of both artists makes this record of their encounter an essential memento of their artistry.
Reviews:
Like too many utterly original and fearless jazz artists, Jeanne Lee's audience and reputation seems to reside more within the community of musicians than listeners. Despite remarkable classic recordings with Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, Carla Bley, Andrew Cyrille, Billy Bang, William Parker, Steve Coleman, and of course, Gunter Hampel, Lee has never received the notoriety due a musician with such an impressive resume. Her naked alto, broad interpretive skills, improvisational gifts, and choice of material left her with few peers among vocalists of her generation, Leon Thomas being one candidate. Although a recent review characterized Lee's voice itself as an "acquired taste," the above list suggests that more sensitive ears had no such difficulty.
Waldron brings an equally impressive past, having worked with Shepp, Dolphy, Mingus, and Abbey Lincoln, along with his legendary tenure with Billie Holiday. In the late '50's he was musical director for Prestige Records, and he wrote now-classic compositions, some of which appear here.
Waldron recorded a few albums with Lee in the nineties, including After Hours, reissued by Owl/Sunnyside. Recorded in two days, this session features standards and timeless gems rendered with love by two old pros. Their collaboration results in a warm intimacy with the material and each other's style.
Opening with Ellington's "Caravan," the duo simmer the jump out of it, boosting the sensuality until the desert rendezvous becomes a spiritual antecedent to "Midnight at the Oasis." Waldron's faultlessly precise minimalism cultivates the tension, and Lee's timbre, through her improvs and interpretation, amplifies the heat. "You Go to My Head" has the vocalist's elastic phrasing easily matched by Waldron's flexibility. His solo manipulates silence and space as much as the piano. Rogers & Hart's "I Could Write a Book" captures the carefree feel of the tune, with Lee's solo sounding as natural and personal as humming on a stroll.
In selecting Mingus' "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," Lee wisely eschews the more famous Joni Mitchell lyric for Rahsaan Roland Kirk's more definitive version. Waldron creates little miracles with his chords, exploring the mournfulness while composing unforeseen transitions. Likewise, Lee takes dramatic liberties with the melody. Compressed within a little over three minutes, it's as chill-inducing as the first time you heard Mingus play it.
Lee toasts the pianist with two of his own, first with "Straight Ahead," using Abbey Lincoln's lyrics. She leaves lyrics behind all together on the familiar "Fire Waltz." A standard in Dolphy's repertoire, the tune finds Lee playful, with Waldron insistent and rhythmic. On Ellington's "I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart," she sounds like she's singing through a smile. Again, her variations of time and texture find a willing accomplice in Waldron.
The closing bittersweet version of Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye" reminds us of the loss of both these giants in the last few years. With so much of Lee's catalogue hard to find these days, this straightforward love letter to some favorite old songs is a welcome release.
--- Rex Butters
Vocalist, born New York, 1939-2000
She met Ran Blake at college and they began to improvise together on The Newest Sound Around (Bluebird, 1962)
Relocating to Europe in 1967, she joined Gunter Hampel's ensemble and provided vocals for his albums between 1968 and 1983, such as The 8th July 1969 (Birth, 1969), Ballet-Symphony (Birth, 197O) Spirits (Birth, 1971), Journey to the Song Within (Birth, 1974), Freedom Of The Universe (Birth, 1979) and Companion (Birth, 1982). as well as the duo albums Gunter Hampel Group + Jeanne Lee (Wergo, 1968) and Oasis (Horo, 1978) and the trio with Anthony Braxton Family (Birth, 1972).
She was also featured on masterpieces of the era such as Archie Shepp's Blase (1969), Carla Bley's Escalator Over the Hill (197O) and Marion Brown's Afternoon Of A Georgia Faun (1970).
Her first solo album, Conspiracy (Earthform, 1974) displayed her creative style, which expanded the jazz vocabulary with gestures borrowed from Tibet and India, inspired by Yma Sumac, taking advantage not only of the "voice" but also of lip and throat sounds.
A trio with Andrew Cyrille and Jimmy Lyons yielded Nuba (Black Saint, 1979).
Other collaborations included: Sorrow Is Not Forever (Keytone, 1983) with Vocal Summit, Archie Shepp & Jeanne Lee (West Wind, 1984), You Stepped Out Of A Cloud (OWL, 1989) with Blake, Here and Now (Word of Mouth, 1993) with David Eyges, After Hours (Owl, 1994) with Mal Waldron, White Road Black Rain (Tokuma, 1995) and Travelin' in Soul Time (Haast, 1995) with Mal Waldron and Toru Tenda, etc.
Natural Affinities (OWL, 1992), her second and last solo, is less cohesive and revolutionary than the first one. Mingus Meditations, an improvised duo with Dave Holland, and the pieces featuring Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet may be interesting but are hardly personal. Lee only shines on the Brazilian shuffle Ambrosia Mama/ Celebration of a State of Grace.
She also composed the jazz opera La Conference Des Oiseaux, the oratorio Prayer For Our Time, the five-part suite Emergence.
Jeanne Lee died in november 2000 of cancer.
--- Piero Scaruffi |
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