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2 x *BAKELIT* |
| 14.673 Ft
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| 1. *BAKELIT* tartalma: |
| 1. | Brain Stormin'
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| 2. | Byrdflight
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| 3. | Hammerhead
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| 4. | Aquarius Rising
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| 5. | Kay Pea
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| 6. | Chippin' In
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| 7. | Raincheck
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| 8. | Chandek's Den
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| 9. | Kenji's Walk
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| 10. | Love Walked In
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A1. Brain Stormin' (6:32)
A2. Byrdflight (6:19)
A3. Hammerhead (6:51)
B1. Aquarius Rising (5:26)
B2. Kay Pea (5:58)
B3. Chippin' In (9:57)
C1. Raincheck (5:34)
C2. Chandek's Den (6:20)
D1. Kenji's Walk (8:58)
D2. Love Walked In (8:16)
Recorded: 1 & 2 February 1990, Rudy van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA
Art Blakey - drums
Brian Lynch - trumpet
Frank Lacy - trombone on tune 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 10
Steve Davis - trombone on tune 1, 7, 8
Javon Jackson - teller saxophone
Dale Barlow - tenor saxophone
GeoffKeezer - piano
Essiet Okon Essiet - bass
35 years after first officially forming The Jazz Messengers, drummer Art Blakey entered his final year still at it. Due to the many promising young players around at the time, Blakey expanded The Messengers from its usual quintet or sextet into a septet for this fine recording session. In addition to trumpeter Brian Lynch, pianist Geoff Keezer and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, this version of The Messengers had two tenors (Javon Jackson and Dale Barlow) and a pair of alternating trombonists (Frank Lacy and Steve Davis). Quite typically, other than Wayne Shorter's obscure "Hammerhead" and two standards, all of the material on this CD was new and composed by Blakey's sidemen. Because Blakey constantly persuaded his musicians to write music, The Jazz Messengers stayed young in spirit, just like its leader. A fine effort. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Art Blakey, at seventy years old, remains the most vital and important drummer/leader in jazz today. Art still possesses the energy, stamina and good humour with which he has entertained and amazed audiences for fifty years now And he's still one of the busiest musicians around. A man of the people, Art likes to keep his band working because he loves to play and "the kids need the experience." All over the world listeners line up to hear his brand of jazz, a joyous music that is powerful and spiritual in its strength, endurance and optimism. Back home in New York, where he regularly packs clubs, a large share of Blakey's audience is made up of musicians. Former and future Messengers, felkw drummers and other players all come to feel the fire and show their respect for the man Max Roach once marched up to a bandstand to laud as "the greatest drummer in the world." On those rare nights when Art isn't working, he can often be found making the rounds of the clubs, checking out the development of the many musicians who have come through his band. or perhaps looking for a new young talent for the group.
Blakey doesn't just play jazz, he lives jazz, he is jazz. Jazz is his master and his mistress. When others eschewed the word jazz and diluted the purity of its swing, Art embraced it harder and swung it with all his might. He carried its banner and preached its sermon to his audiences, telling them "This is America's music. No America, no jazz... It's a spiritual music, direct from the Creator, to the artist, to the audience... No other music like it in the world. Any soul that passes through this life and doesn't check this music out has really missed something."
The musicians wtio played wth the Jazz Messengers during those lean years when many people claimed that jazz was dead, players like Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Keith Jarrett and Chuck Mangione, have gone on to relive the art form into what is now accepted as a real and commercially viable component of the music business. More recently. the attention garnered by Wynton and Branford Marsalis during their tenures wit h the Messengers can be ci edited as the single most important factor for the increasing number of young musicians dedicating themselves to jazz. The musicians who make up this edition of the Jazz Messengers are more varied in age and background than many previous incarnations of the group. What they share in common with each other and their predecessors is a strong dedication to the music, the group and its leader; excellent technical command of their instruments; and most importantly, the ability to swing, hard.Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson is the senior member of the group, the only player on this date to have previously recorded with Blakey. He appears with Art and Freddie Hubbard on Feel The Wind (Timeless 307) and on the Messenger date named for his composition Not Yet (a reference to one of Art's ritual invocations during the playing of the band's theme). He's also recorded with fellow Messengers Bennie Green and Brian Lynch on their own dates.
Jackson was born 16 June 1965 in Joplin, Missouri and grew up in Cleveland, then Denver, where he began playing saxophone in his high school band. Later he performed with Billy Wallace, a fine pianist who played with Max Roach in the fifties. The young saxophonist moved on to Boston, where he studied with Messenger alumnus Billy Pierce at the Berklee School of Music. While there he met Messenger pianist Donald Brown, who he credits with helping him leam the band's book and "giving me the guts to sit in with Art." Javon is a big toned player who favors motific improvisation, in the tradition of his main influences Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson (two of the greatest horn men to never join the Messengers). It is his style and tone that gives this band a different sound than most earlier Messenger groups. Brian Lynch, though making his recording debut with Blakey here, is probably the member of the group best known to hard bop fans. Born in Urbana, Illinois, 12 September 1956, he grew up in Milwaukee where he studied at the Wisconsin School of Music and played around on the local jazz scene. The young trumpeter spent some time in San Diego before heading east and his first gigs of national importance came with California hard hoppers Charles McPherson and Horace Silver. In New York he's been featured in the big bands of Mel Lewis, George Russell and Toshiko Akiyoshi, as well as with Eddie Palmieri's AfroCuban ensemble and Ralph Moore's quintet. He's recorded with Moore, Jim Snidero, Mark Murphy, Akiyoshi, Palmieri and Herb Robertson's brass ensemble (playing the music of Bud Powell). He also has three fine albums under his own leadership. Brian is a powerful, clear toned player whose voice leads the hom ensemble and gives this group the classic Messenger sound of the best of Art's units. He's a quick thinking, well equipped soloist who intelligently runs the changes through Art's rhythmic maze, judiciously using his ability to play at high velocity or go upstairs, to create the excitement Art expects his young players to deliver. This Messenger group is distinguished from others for its use of two tenors. Dale Barlow is the newest player of the hom to join the distinguished lineage of Blakey tenor men. Born in Sydney. Australia, 25 December 1959, Ins father is Bill Barlow, a tenor saxophonist of some
note in his own country. Dale plays with the authority of someone who has been hearing the hom all his life. The younger Barlow made a name for himself at home playing in New Zealander Mike Nock's group, sitting in with visiting luminaries and leading his own quartet. Dale has recorded many times in Australia (he made his debut at 16), including two albums under his own name, one of which earned the Australian Recording Industry Award for best jazz album of 1988. Barlow first came to the United States in 1982, at which time he studied with Dave Liebman, George Coleman and Barry Harris. After that he spent time in Amsterdam, Paris and London, where saxophonist/clubowner Ronnie Scott recommended him to Cedar Walton. Dale toured with the former Messenger pianist and appeared on his Bluesville Time album. He returned to the U.S. in 1989 and by the summer Art, impressed with his talent invited him to join the group for his 70th Birthday tour. Frank Lacy was the music director of this group up until his departure from the band during the second date of this recording session. (Frank packed up his horn after playing his last tune for the date, turned over the trombonechair and rushed off to catch a plane to Europe to fulfill other commitments.)Born in Houston, Texas, 9 August 1958, Lacy's father is a popular bluesman in the region and it is the blues that form the center of the trombonist's style. Frank came north (and east) to study at Berklee and then Rutgers University. Since in the New York area he's played with the big bands of Illinois Jacquet, Don Pullen and Dizzy Gillespie and forward looking ensembles like the Caria Bley Group, Henry Threadgill's Sextett and Lester Bowie and Brass Fantasy. Just before joining the Messengers, he was featured in alumnus Bobby Watson's group Horizon. A multi-instrumentalist, Lacy also plays trumpet, French horn and guitar, in addition to the trombone. As his credentials attest, he is an avant gardist who can swing, or if you prefer a swinger who can take it out. Frank understands the mechanics and tradition of the trombone and works hard at expanding both. His raucuous sound and warm tone can quickly entice audiences into enraptured attention while he cleverly builds solos that point innew directions. He's recently recorded his first album as a leader, Blue Fire. The newest member of the group is trombonist Steve Davis. Born in Wooster, Mass., 14 April 1967, he grew up in Binghamton, New York. The young brassman began studying music in elementary school, starting on trumpet, then switching to baritone horn and tuba before settling on the trombone at 14. Steve received good training on the horn in school and in the jazz tradition at home via his newspaperman father's excellent record collection. His father also took him out to hear the visiting jazz bands he would review. The first groups Steve remembers hearing as a youth were Elvin Jones and Art Blakey.
Davis grew up with a clique of young aspiring jazz players who formed their own quintet to play local jazz joints. While still in high school he was invited to join the college big band at SUNY Binghamton. Following high school lie went to the University of Hartford where lie studied in Jackie McLean's excellent music program. It was Jackie who recommended the young trombonist to All. Steve is a fleet player with a clean sound and good sight reading skills. Upon moving to New York he began sitting in with the band during their regular gigs at Mikell's and Sweet Basil. When Lacy had to leave the group Davis had already been playing with the band for a few months.
The youngest member of the group (except for Art, of course) is pianist Geoff Keezer. Born 20 November 1970, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Geoff began his piano studies at the age of five. By the time he was 13 he was studying seriously and at 14 he was given a "Young Talent of the Year" award by the International Association of Jazz Educators. Geoff approached former Messenger pianist James Williams for lessons at the IAJE convention and the young veteran has played an important role in the development of Keezer's career, pointing him to Berklee for a year of study with Donald Brown, producing his first two recordings for Sunnyside and introducing him to his present employer. The young pianist left Berklee after a single year to come to New York and devoted himself to playing jazz full time. He made his auspicious debut as a leader here with a trio including Walter Booker and Jimmy Uobb at Bradley's (the true testing ground for any jazz pianist) and with a quartet featuring vibist Steve Nelson at the Village Vanguard. Soon afterwards, he was playing at Sweet Basil with Art and the Messengers. Not a bad start for the new kid on the block. Since joining the Messengers Geoff s talent has continued to grow and mature. His harmonic sophistication is put to good use accompanying the horn players and playing regularly on top of Art's drums has given his ability to swing a real lift. In addition to his own two albums,Geoff has also recorded with tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford and trumpeter Roy Hargrove (his Berklee roommate).
The work horse of the organization (as Blakey likes to call his bassists) is Essiet ()kon Essiet. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, 1 September 1956, Essiet grew up a citizen of the world, travelling with his chemist father throughout the U.S., Europe and Africa (his parents are from Nigeria). He began Ins musical studies on the violin at the age of 10 and switched to bass in high school (as is often the case with tall young violinists). Essiet's first gig of note was with that it is dedicated to Art's youngest son. The set closes with Javon Jackson's hip arrangement of George Gershwin's Lore Walked In. Frank Lacy is back for the first solo. followed by the arranger and then Brian. Dale begins his solo quoting "When I Fall In Love". Geoffhas the final honors. Chippin' In is by my unofficial count the one hundredth album issued under the Blakey banner (more than likely I've missed a few. What is amazing is not the quantity of recordings led by Art, but the consistently high quality of them. This disc stands up with the best of them and is momentous for the fine new talent it introduces and in returning Art to the legendary Rudy van Gelder recording studio where so many of the classic Messenger albums were realized. If youbelieve in vibes, you can credit them for inspiring this truly excellent recording. Perhaps I've not spoken enough about Art in these notes, about the many facets of his incredible technique or the ever-growing importance of his leadership. I would hope that these things are well known by now (tell your square friends). I will say that hearing Art is only half the fun and that seeing him play is one of life's greatest joys. So next time the Messengers are in your area (unless you live on the North Pole they'll be around), check them out. Until then, as Art says, "Please buy the records. God knows we need the money."
Russ Musto New York City 4 July 1990
Art Blakey
The fall 1986 tour of Germany and Europe by the 'Wild' Bill Davidson All Stars stood under the sign of good companionship right from the start. From the moment I picked up the musicians at Bremen airport, the group was in excellent spirits that could not even dampened by a delay of several days in the arrival of Tommy Saunders' luggage. The two Europeans, Isla Eckinger and Danny Moss, were warmly welcomed in the band. The genial atmosphere, and the fact that 'Wild' Bill Davidson's manner of leading the band was that of a Primus inter pares, a father rather than an aloof star, were the main factors that made a wonderful band out of this group. It does not take much to assemble a formation of All Stars for a tour, except, of course, money. This, however, was not just a group, but a unit. One that presented excellent collective interplay in addition to shining solos, though there had been only two hours of rehearsal time for head arrangements. This rehearsal in my living room, incidentally, resembled a coffee klatch more than anything else, But then again, it did demonstrate the manner in which true professionals go about their business.
'Wild' Bill Davidson is a phenomenon. At 80 he is full of vitality, his sparkling wit intact, and his music as exciting as ever. Inevitably, he is a little shorter on breath, but, as one observer aptly stated: "At 80, I'll count myself lucky if I can tie my shoelaces whereas Bill is still blowing such wonderful trumpet." As a relief man "the wild one" had brought along Tommy Saunders of Detroit, another cornetist, who normally heads his own band. Saunders did full justice to his supporting role, holding back whenever it was appropriate to let "his father" shine, yet never hiding his own considerable talent. The two-cornet interplay stirred thoughts of the King Oliver band. Danny Moss with his tenor sax proved to e another valuable addition. Earlier apprehensions that the two cornets, trombone, clarinet, and tenor might trample on each other, were quickly dispelled. The Englishman is a great artist and his playing added in distinct flavor to this band. In its collective work, the front line never sounded mushy or woolly, all its lines were so clear and lucid as to satisfy even the strictest purist. Bill Allred, leader of a bans of his own in Orlando, Florida, was outstanding not just as a soloist but in the ensembles as well. For Chuck Hedges, the man from Milwaukee, on wishes the jazz world would finally recognize that the counts among the best clarinetists around.
The rhythm section was a hornman's dream. Johnny Varro, who has made in Los Angeles his home, is not just a virtuoso accompanist an soloist, but an unbelievably hard swinger ass well. Isla Eckinger provided the backbone to the rhythm team. There was hardly a solo necessary to demonstrate why he was in such high demand as a bassist in Europe. Yes, was, because shortly after his tour the man from Switzerland left us to settle in Los Angeles. Europe's loss is America's gain. What to write about Butch Miles? It takes just one look at the endless list of name musicians he worked with to realize that this is a drummer whose services are in constant demand. During this tour he demonstrated aptly the virtues of an outstanding drummer, i.e. to play in support o his colleagues.
Last but not least, there was Banu Gibson from New Orleans, who came along as the band's vocalist. This bundle of energy and joy has a good name in the U.S. In Europe, however, she had the audience on their feet. |
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