WILL VINSON - four forty one
Whirlwind WR4752
Will Vinson - alto sax; Sullivan Fortner, Tigran Hamasyan, Gerald Clayton, Fred Hersch, Gonzalo Rubalcaba - piano; Matt Brewer, Matt Penman, Rick Rosato, Larry Grenadier - bass; Obed Calvaire, Billy Hart, Clarence Penn, Jochen Ruckert, Eric Harland - drums
Will Vinson is celebrating his twentieth year in NYC since relocating from his native London, and a glance through the credits on this landmark album give a good indication of his status among the city’s A list of jazz players. This record was conceived as a tribute to some of Vison’s formative influences, but also as very good excuse to assemble a dream team of five of Vinson’s favourite ever pianists to explore different sides of his musical personality. So we have Sullivan Fortner, favourite keysman for the late lamented Roy Hargrove, on some artfully deconstructed versions of the classic standards-to-bop repertoire (Heyman/Young’s Love Letters, John Lewis’ Milestones) - culture-crossing time-shifting virtuoso Tigran Hamasyan on the terrific Vinson original Banal Street and Keith Jarret’s mournful Oasis, and young gunslinger and Charles Lloyd associate Gerald Clayton on the mediative low-slung groove of Cherry Time. There’s still space for master composer Fred Hersch to lend his utterly original harmonic imagination to Monk’s Work, while Vinson’s longtime collaborator Gonzalo Rubalcaba lends his powerful attack and pinpoint rhythmic accuracy to a pair of Vinson originals. As if this wasn’t enough, the rhythm teams are consistently outstanding throughout, and perfectly matched to their respective pianists: Brewer and Calvaire’s work on Love Letters is a particular delight, and its great to hear much-loved veteran Billy Hart in such unaccustomed surroundings. While the Rubalcaba band may seem to wear the laurels in terms of current profile, it’s really impossible to pick a front-runner: the less well-known teams all hold their own in terms of originality, ability and conviction. Vinson’s bitter-sweet, unsentimental alto is the common thread that ties everything together. Outstanding.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind WR4752
Will Vinson - alto sax; Sullivan Fortner, Tigran Hamasyan, Gerald Clayton, Fred Hersch, Gonzalo Rubalcaba - piano; Matt Brewer, Matt Penman, Rick Rosato, Larry Grenadier - bass; Obed Calvaire, Billy Hart, Clarence Penn, Jochen Ruckert, Eric Harland - drums
Will Vinson is celebrating his twentieth year in NYC since relocating from his native London, and a glance through the credits on this landmark album give a good indication of his status among the city’s A list of jazz players. This record was conceived as a tribute to some of Vison’s formative influences, but also as very good excuse to assemble a dream team of five of Vinson’s favourite ever pianists to explore different sides of his musical personality. So we have Sullivan Fortner, favourite keysman for the late lamented Roy Hargrove, on some artfully deconstructed versions of the classic standards-to-bop repertoire (Heyman/Young’s Love Letters, John Lewis’ Milestones) - culture-crossing time-shifting virtuoso Tigran Hamasyan on the terrific Vinson original Banal Street and Keith Jarret’s mournful Oasis, and young gunslinger and Charles Lloyd associate Gerald Clayton on the mediative low-slung groove of Cherry Time. There’s still space for master composer Fred Hersch to lend his utterly original harmonic imagination to Monk’s Work, while Vinson’s longtime collaborator Gonzalo Rubalcaba lends his powerful attack and pinpoint rhythmic accuracy to a pair of Vinson originals. As if this wasn’t enough, the rhythm teams are consistently outstanding throughout, and perfectly matched to their respective pianists: Brewer and Calvaire’s work on Love Letters is a particular delight, and its great to hear much-loved veteran Billy Hart in such unaccustomed surroundings. While the Rubalcaba band may seem to wear the laurels in terms of current profile, it’s really impossible to pick a front-runner: the less well-known teams all hold their own in terms of originality, ability and conviction. Vinson’s bitter-sweet, unsentimental alto is the common thread that ties everything together. Outstanding.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
