MARQUIS HILL - New Gospel Revisited
Edition: EDN1190
Marquis Hill (Trumpet); Walter Smith III (Tenor Sax); Joel Ross (Vibraphone); James Francies (Piano); Harish Raghavan (Bass); Kendrick Scott (Drums)
Recorded live 8th December 2019 by Anthony Gravino at Constellation, Chicago
In 2012, Marquis Hill released his debut album ‘New Gospel’ which was both a calling card of an intense new talent and a paean to hard bop. Since then, Hill has been mixing many genres to create new and exciting music to attract different audiences to jazz (and to make sure that jazz audiences are exposed to new musical styles). To return to his debut album on this recording, Hill does several things. First, the band expands to a sextet which offers a wealth of opportunities for sonic textures and scope for a variety of solos. Second, the music is recorded live, which captures the excitement of the tunes in a new settings. Third, Hill and the band strip his musical sound back to almost a pure version of hard bop from the late ‘60s. Each generation finds their way to bop and its potential for innovation and iconoclasm remains undiminished. Sometimes, players look to recreate the tunes in a straightforward pastiche of the records that they have discovered. Other times, players immerse themselves to such an extent in the sounds, the styles, the nuances of the music of this era that they live and breathe it in order to make it anew. Hill, on his debut, and on this live set, is very much of the latter camp. And the musicians that he has drawn around him, all major players on the US and International scene, are likewise reliving and channelling the energy, exuberance and possibilities of hard bop. But this is not simply a blowing contest, where players stampede their way through melodies with strong rhythmic pulse. Rather, there are subtleties in the playing (both in the solos and the ensemble playing) that call to mind East Coast jazz of the same era and Hill’s talent as a composer and the band’s ability create a seamless blend. The live recording gives each player space to expand on the tunes so that the solos, well received by the audience, engage in a dialogue with the original versions of the tunes by bringing to them a contemporary swagger.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Edition: EDN1190
Marquis Hill (Trumpet); Walter Smith III (Tenor Sax); Joel Ross (Vibraphone); James Francies (Piano); Harish Raghavan (Bass); Kendrick Scott (Drums)
Recorded live 8th December 2019 by Anthony Gravino at Constellation, Chicago
In 2012, Marquis Hill released his debut album ‘New Gospel’ which was both a calling card of an intense new talent and a paean to hard bop. Since then, Hill has been mixing many genres to create new and exciting music to attract different audiences to jazz (and to make sure that jazz audiences are exposed to new musical styles). To return to his debut album on this recording, Hill does several things. First, the band expands to a sextet which offers a wealth of opportunities for sonic textures and scope for a variety of solos. Second, the music is recorded live, which captures the excitement of the tunes in a new settings. Third, Hill and the band strip his musical sound back to almost a pure version of hard bop from the late ‘60s. Each generation finds their way to bop and its potential for innovation and iconoclasm remains undiminished. Sometimes, players look to recreate the tunes in a straightforward pastiche of the records that they have discovered. Other times, players immerse themselves to such an extent in the sounds, the styles, the nuances of the music of this era that they live and breathe it in order to make it anew. Hill, on his debut, and on this live set, is very much of the latter camp. And the musicians that he has drawn around him, all major players on the US and International scene, are likewise reliving and channelling the energy, exuberance and possibilities of hard bop. But this is not simply a blowing contest, where players stampede their way through melodies with strong rhythmic pulse. Rather, there are subtleties in the playing (both in the solos and the ensemble playing) that call to mind East Coast jazz of the same era and Hill’s talent as a composer and the band’s ability create a seamless blend. The live recording gives each player space to expand on the tunes so that the solos, well received by the audience, engage in a dialogue with the original versions of the tunes by bringing to them a contemporary swagger.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
