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Bill Stevens: Dedication
ByStevens’ dedication to Lee Morgan, "Special Subji" (which is harmonically more akin to Woody Shaw), promisingly opens the disc, displaying some fine playing, particularly by tenor player Charlie Gusher, who exhibits a strong affection for Wayne Shorter’s style combined with a soft, round Hank Mobley-influenced sound; and trombonist Terry Schwandron, whose full tone is very appealing, though occasionally uneven.
The ballad "For You" is a pretty song reminiscent of Horace Silver’s "Peace," but "The Gift," written for Freddie Hubbard, is more than slightly derivative of more familiar pieces. "The Master" demonstrates a sound understanding of Ellington and Strayhorn, but unfortunately Stevens’ efforts to create dissonant harmonies leads to some out-of-tune playing. "Sphere" is an up-tempo tribute to Monk that reveals how most of the musicians are much better at playing fast than slow.
The leader’s muted trumpet on the Gil Evans dedication "Svengali" displays the strong influence of Miles Davis in a Sketches of Spain -like environment. "If You Know What I Mean" is an unremarkable tribute to Woody Shaw in the Jazz Messenger mold. On the "Untitled Ballad," the ensemble haphazardly wanders tonally off center, again revealing several of the players’ difficulty with a slower tempo. The Tynerish "Actually" is one of the date’s most enjoyable pieces, perhaps for its simplicity and lack of overreaching, as well as the excellent playing of pianist Elliot Honig. The finale, "Miles to Go" (a suite in four stylistic movements), details different phases of Davis’ creative output from bop to fusion, in an enjoyable, but somewhat academic fashion. This composition class exercise deserves a B+, if not an A.
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