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| 1. | Parisian Thoroughfare
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| 2. | Night in Tunisia
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| 3. | My One and Only Love
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| 4. | Is That So?
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| 5. | Round Midnight
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| 6. | N.Y. Theme
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| 7. | Passion Flower
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Jazz
John Hicks, solo piano and Frank Morgan, alto saxophone (tracks 2, 3, 5 & 6)
B. Hanighen - Composer
Billy Strayhorn - Composer
C. Williams - Composer
D. Pearson - Composer
Dave Helland - Liner Notes
Dizzy Gillespie - Composer
Gene Martin - Photography
Joe Fields - Executive Producer
Jon Rosenberg - Mastering, Mixing, Producer
Keiji Obata - Design
Richard Conde - Photography
Thelonious Monk - Composer
Pianist John Hicks and saxophonist Frank Morgan never recorded together as a duo but this live recording preserves the meeting of these musical minds and gives us a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been. These two incredible instrumentalists draw from the deepest tradition of jazz-improvisation and interact with sensitivity, flexibility and such ease of invention so that the ideas flow naturally from one musical mind to the other.
The duo is the most basic form of musical conversation and at the same time one of the most difficult formats to bring off successfully. At its best it's communication at the highest level, presupposing a common goal as the highest priority. Successfully mastered, this delicate balance yields the kind of interaction which makes improvised music an unforgettable experience, challenging performer and audience, alike. These two incredible instrumentalists draw from the deepest tradition of jazz-improvisation and interact with sensitivity, flexibility and such ease of invention so that the ideas flow naturally from one musical mind to the other. John Hicks and Frank Morgan never recorded together as a duo but this live recording preserves the meeting of these musical minds and gives us a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been. Bringing the program up to CD length are a selection of solo tracks of John Hicks taken from the same live concert appearance that gave us the HighNote release, "I Remember You" (HCD 7191) about which Marcia Hillman in All About Jazz said, "Listening to Hicks leaves you with the feeling of having sat in some jazz club until three in the morning and leaving with a head full of beautiful and imaginative music."
Both John Hicks and Frank Morgan passed away shortly after making the recordings gathered here: pianist Hicks in May 2006 and alto saxophonist Morgan in December 2007. They had both spent the preceding decades living very different lives: Morgan, as is well known within the jazz community, was a heroin addict to whom incarceration was no stranger. He disappeared from the scene for an interminably long 30 years before finding his way back from his problems and into the music world in 1985. Hicks, meanwhile, was prolific throughout his multi-decade career, recording many albums as a leader and working alongside many of the genre's greats as a sideman. This set of seven tracks does not consist entirely of duets: Morgan appears on only four of them and Hicks plays solo piano on the others (there are no other musicians involved). Those solo tracks are full-bodied and cover a range of moods. The opening track, Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare," is sentimental and cosmopolitan, while the closer, Billy Strayhorn's "Passion Flower," is given a bluesy, melancholy reading. Hicks is a spare player, not a show-off, but his elegance shines through in every note and chord he chooses. When Morgan enters the picture, on four tracks recorded at L.A.'s Jazz Bakery in November 2005, they instantly seek and find a common place, enjoying a respectful if mostly easygoing conversation. "'Round Midnight," the iconic Monk tune, is taken at a leisurely pace, the pair both understanding that pockets of air give that much more context and power to the moments when the two instruments do come together. And Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia" retains all of the song's exotic mystique, even in this minimalist setting. Frankly, though, this album is mostly Hicks' show: Morgan's playing is never less than impressive, but more often than not, he chooses to lay back and let the pianist have the run of the place. Whether Morgan saw his role at the gig as second banana or Hicks just had the more dominant stage presence, Morgan's reticence to make this an equal partnership shows as he holds himself back from engaging fully as a duet partner. Twogether is a pretty, relaxed set of music, but one wonders what might have been if both parties had been willing and able to go all out. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, Rovi
John Hicks
Active Decades: '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Dec 12, 1941 in Atlanta, GA
Died: May 10, 2006 in New York, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Post-Bop, Hard Bop, Straight-Ahead Jazz, Jazz Instrument, Piano Jazz
A longtime fixture of the New York City jazz landscape, pianist John Hicks was an artist of uncommon versatility, moving effortlessly from pop standards to the avant-garde while retaining the dense physicality and intense energy that were the hallmarks of his approach. Born December 12, 1941, in Atlanta, Hicks was still an infant when his preacher father relocated the family to Los Angeles. He spent the better part of his teen years in St. Louis, and counted among his classmates there the young Lester Bowie. Hicks' mother was his first piano teacher, and after a stint at Lincoln University in Missouri he attended the Berklee School of Music and the Juilliard School; he later cited influences spanning from Fats Waller to Thelonious Monk to Methodist church hymns, and his catholic listening tastes were instrumental in shaping his far-ranging skills as a player. After touring in support of bluesman Albert King and hard bop tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, Hicks backed singer Della Reese during a 1963 New York club residency, and the city remained his home for the rest of his life. In the wake of stints with Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, Hicks joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1964, collaborating alongside the likes of trumpeters Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard. Two years later, he signed on with singer Betty Carter, like Blakey a keen judge of emerging talent. Upon exiting Carter's band in 1968, Hicks spent the remainder of the decade with Woody Herman and entered the decade to follow as a first-call sideman. He also moonlighted as an educator, and during the early '70s taught jazz and improvisation at Southern Illinois University.
After backing Carter on her 1976 date Now It's My Turn, Hicks returned to her backing group full-time. The exposure vaulted him to new renown, and in 1979 he finally led his own studio effort, After the Morning. With 1981's Some Other Time, cut with bassist Walter Booker and drummer Idris Muhammad, Hicks also emerged as a gifted composer, writing his best-known effort, "Naima's Love Song," in honor of his young daughter. He recorded prolifically in the years to follow, concentrating on solo and small ensemble work including stints as member of the Power Trio and the Keystone Trio. He also served as the regular pianist with the Mingus Dynasty Band and for a time led his own big band. Hicks enjoyed his greatest commercial success with a series of tribute LPs celebrating the music of his mentors and influences, highlighted by 1998's Something to Live For (a collection of Billy Strayhorn compositions), 2000's Impressions of Mary Lou (Williams, of course), and 2003's Fatha's Day (honoring Earl Hines). Hicks' longest and most rewarding collaboration was his partnership with flutist Elise Wood, which launched in 1983 and after several studio sessions and tours culminated in marriage in 2001, around the time of the release of their duo recording Beautiful Friendship. Hicks died suddenly on May 10, 2006. Just three days earlier, he delivered his final performance at Harlem's St. Mark's United Methodist Church, where his father served as a minister prior to his own death. Hicks was 64 years old.
---Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Frank Morgan
Active Decades: '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s
Born: Dec 23, 1933 in Minneapolis, MN
Died: Dec 14, 2007 in Minneapolis, MN
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Bop, Hard Bop, Jazz Instrument, Saxophone Jazz
It is a real rarity for a jazz musician to have his career interrupted for a 30-year period and then be able to make a complete comeback. Frank Morgan showed a great deal of promise in his early days, but it was a long time before he could fulfill his potential. The son of guitarist Stanley Morgan (who played with the Ink Spots), he took up clarinet and alto early on. Morgan moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1947 and won a talent contest, leading to him record a solo with Freddy Martin. Morgan worked on the bop scene of early-'50s Los Angeles, recording with Teddy Charles (1953) and Kenny Clarke (1954), and leading his own album for GNP in 1955. But then 30 years of darkness intruded. A heroin addict (following in the footsteps of his idol Charlie Parker), Morgan was arrested for possession of drugs and was in and out of jails for decades. He performed locally on an occasional basis, but it was not until 1985 when he had an opportunity to lead his second date. Morgan managed to permanently kick drugs and after an initial period, during which he sounded very close to Charlie Parker, he developed his own bop-based style. Frank Morgan has recorded a string of excellent sets for Contemporary, Antilles, and Telarc, and has become an inspiring figure in the jazz world. His most recent albums include Tribute to Charlie Parker(2003), City Nights: Live at the Jazz Standard (2004), Raising the Standard (2005), and Night in the Life: Live at the Jazz Station (2007).
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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