Archive for the ‘Victor Lewis’ Category
Bobby Watson & Horizon: Horizon Reassembled (2004 – Palmetto Records)
To properly appreciate this CD, according to its leader, you need to listen to it five times.
He says his five-listen mandate is so listeners can hear each player’s contributions, which he details in clear and concise linear notes: pianist Edward Simon’s Latin influence, bassist Essiet Essiet’s African presence, drummer Victor Lewis’ drum technique, the thinking behind the solo lines of Terell Stafford on trumpet and flugelhorn, and – finally – Watson’s alto playing. The notes are better than average in their guidance and a fine incentive to set aside an evening with the CD player programmed on “repeat.”
The largely up-tempo nature of this album plays to the strengths of the group, which clearly hasn’t lost the ability to communicate despite a lengthy interlude. Their credentials are established within four minutes of the opening straight-ahead “Lemoncello,” largely by Watson’s driving exploration of his diamond-hard tone, but Stafford also shows he’s come to play with a decent collection of riffs that build well off each other. Most everyone does a bit of true “happy band” romping on the title track, and the closing “Xangongo” has a strong bit of world beat and group-think interaction going for it.
Watson’s advice to listen for things such as which of two snare drums Lewis selects is a good indicator of the subtle complexity of his backing, mostly seeking to earn respect rather than grabbing center stage and demanding it. Like Essiest’s percussion-like bass lines, this may need revisiting to appreciate. Still, Lewis builds things up to an intense fury in Simon’s Latin-themed “Pere,” culminating in a savage bit of kit abuse accompanied by the pianist’s simple vamp.
Things fall off a bit when the group slows down. “The Look Of Love” is an unremarkable effort by Watson and Stafford to soothe instead of challenge. “The Love We Had Yesterday” by Watson’s wife, Pam, features a pleasing enough melody, but again Watson and Stafford don’t seem inclined to elevate things beyond that surface level of satisfaction. Wanting to keep the mood level isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but since most of this album hardly seems intended to occupy the background of listeners’ minds it feels like there’s potential to get more out of these songs. The Watson originals “Dark Days” and its subsequent interlude get somewhat better treatment from Stafford and Simon, aided by the slow, moody R&B backdrop.
This may not be Watson at his absolute best, but Horizon Reassembled deserves a place among the very solid albums in his discography. Fans will enjoy it and the finer moments will no doubt lure some new listeners into seeking out other albums that offer more of them.
Mark Sabbatini (All About Jazz)
1. Lemoncello
2. Pere
3. Love We Had Yesterday, The
4. Ginger Bread Boy
5. Horizon Reassembled
6. Look of Love, The
7. Eeeyyess
8. Permanoon
9. Dark Days
10. Dark Days (Interlude)
11. Xangongo
Personnel:
Bobby Watson (alto sax)
Terell Stafford (fluglehorn, trumpet)
Edward Simon (piano)
Essiet Essiet (bass)
Victor Lewis (drums)
Original Release Date: June 29, 2004 – Label: Palmetto Records
J.J. Johnson: Heroes (1999 – Verve Music Group)
Still paving the way for younger trombone-playing leaders and composers, J.J. Johnson at 75 plays that instrument better than any other jazz artist does. Remember Kid Ory, Jack Teagarden, Vic Dickenson, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey? Don’t forget Frank Rosolino. And there’s Urbie Green, John Fedchock, Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, Robin Eubanks, and Ray Anderson. Lots more names too, but the list is nothing compared to the large numbers of trumpeters and tenor saxophone players who’ve led bands and whose names would roll right off your tongue without the need for reference materials. The trombone-playing leader is a minority in today’s market, but a welcome entity nonetheless.
Johnson began his jazz career as a teenager, working and recording with big bands. When bebop appeared, the trombonist was working with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and as a leader. In 1954, Johnson teamed up with trombonist Kai Winding for a few successful years and then began to concentrate more on composing. His writing and arranging has been heard in the concert hall, on television and in movie theaters for the past 40 years. All tracks on Heroes except “Blue in Green” and “Blue Train” are his compositions, which reflect thematic concepts associated with their titles. Johnson uses multi-tracked saxophone and trombone voices from Faulk and his own horn to create the effect of a larger, fuller unit. The imagery drifts from an early morning startup to an evening wind-down, and through some interesting places. Of course, the rhythm section fits Johnson’s ideas to the letter. “Vista” is performed by solo piano and represents a lovely panoramic view, while the piano-trombone duet “Better Days” finds Johnson’s melancholy horn reflecting on the better days we’ve seen. The piece could easily fold into the setting of a Gershwin opera. For those interested, there’s a J.J. Johnson listserver whose FAQ page contains pointers to a thorough biography and discography. To subscribe, simply follow the instructions found at http://www.calvert.com/jjlist.html .
Johnson’s tribute to Monk is a quirky and adventuresome composition with an arrangement containing soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, trombone, and rhythm section. “Blue in Green” is just as exciting, as the alternating duple and triple meter (amounting to a 5/4 signature) transfers the moody piece to the listener on soprano sax, flugelhorn, and trombone timbres with supporting rhythm. The familiar opening of “Blue Train” leads to a lesson in contrast, as Faulk urges his tenor saxophone to dynamic volume highs and lows. Much as the Kai and J.J. duo from four decades past capitalized on contrasting trombone styles, Johnson’s quintet brings disparate voices together and creates a colorful picture. By Jim Santella
1. Carolyn (In the Morning)
2. Ten-85
3. Thelonious the Onliest
4. Vista
5. In Walked Wayne
6. Better Days
7. Blue and Green
8. Blue Train
9. Carolyn (In the Evening)
Personnel:
J.J. Johnson (trombone)
Dan Faulk (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone)
Renee Rosnes (piano)
Rufus Reid (acoustic bass)
Victor Lewis (drums)
Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone)
Don Sickler (flugelhorn)
Original Release Date: January 26, 1999 – Label: Verve
Across Rhythm 