NEW YORK ALL STARS - Live Encounter
Ubuntu - UBU0030
Eric Alexander - tenor sax; Seamus Blake - tenor sax; Mike LeDonne - piano; Erik Soderlind - guitar; Aldo Zunino - bass; Bernd Reiter - drums
A long-treasured project for Ubuntu boss Martin Hummel, the first All Stars line up featured the veteran and late lamented Harold Mabern on piano. That set was so well received that a follow up was a must, and with Mabern’s health no longer permitting his participation so top-flight Bop specialist and long-time Benny Golson associate Le Doone was invited in, and as Seamus Blake had just moved to Paris it was a short hop for him to cross the channel to London and join proceedings.
The music, recorded live at the last of a three-night run at Pizza Express, is the kind of powerful contemporary hard bop that acts like the New York Standards quartet have helped to re-establish as a default, with extended workouts on ‘Naima’ allowing both tenorists to flex their modern-traditionalist muscles. The temperature remains high thoughout on the long, modal flavoured ‘Encounter; - Le Donne switches to organ for a rollicking blues on his own ‘Incazzato’ that features Blake leaping out of the starting blocks, with his powerfully centered tone in contrast to Alexander’s no less powerful but lighter-voiced personality to create the classic two-tenors dynamic, while the international rhythm team keep things swinging powerfully throughout and Soderlind contributes a flawless demonstration of that art of bop-to-blues guitar.
Vocalist Ian Shaw makes a surprise, typically characterful appearance on Lionel Richie’s ‘Still’ before we’re back to te post-bop verities with a high-speed modal romp on ‘Second Impressions’ (reminiscent of the Stanley Turrentine/George Benson pairing on Turrentine’s ‘Impressions’ album for CTI) and a tribute to Eddie Harris’ classic boogaloo groove on the eponymous closer. A delight for fans of the blowing session and a vibrant document of the kind of impromptu but inspired session that’s the essence of jazz.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Ubuntu - UBU0030
Eric Alexander - tenor sax; Seamus Blake - tenor sax; Mike LeDonne - piano; Erik Soderlind - guitar; Aldo Zunino - bass; Bernd Reiter - drums
A long-treasured project for Ubuntu boss Martin Hummel, the first All Stars line up featured the veteran and late lamented Harold Mabern on piano. That set was so well received that a follow up was a must, and with Mabern’s health no longer permitting his participation so top-flight Bop specialist and long-time Benny Golson associate Le Doone was invited in, and as Seamus Blake had just moved to Paris it was a short hop for him to cross the channel to London and join proceedings.
The music, recorded live at the last of a three-night run at Pizza Express, is the kind of powerful contemporary hard bop that acts like the New York Standards quartet have helped to re-establish as a default, with extended workouts on ‘Naima’ allowing both tenorists to flex their modern-traditionalist muscles. The temperature remains high thoughout on the long, modal flavoured ‘Encounter; - Le Donne switches to organ for a rollicking blues on his own ‘Incazzato’ that features Blake leaping out of the starting blocks, with his powerfully centered tone in contrast to Alexander’s no less powerful but lighter-voiced personality to create the classic two-tenors dynamic, while the international rhythm team keep things swinging powerfully throughout and Soderlind contributes a flawless demonstration of that art of bop-to-blues guitar.
Vocalist Ian Shaw makes a surprise, typically characterful appearance on Lionel Richie’s ‘Still’ before we’re back to te post-bop verities with a high-speed modal romp on ‘Second Impressions’ (reminiscent of the Stanley Turrentine/George Benson pairing on Turrentine’s ‘Impressions’ album for CTI) and a tribute to Eddie Harris’ classic boogaloo groove on the eponymous closer. A delight for fans of the blowing session and a vibrant document of the kind of impromptu but inspired session that’s the essence of jazz.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
