Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Holly Hofmann: Minor Miracle

113

Holly Hofmann: Minor Miracle

By

Sign in to view read count
Holly Hofmann: Minor Miracle
I'm indebted to Holly Hofmann. I had very little interest in jazz flute until I encountered First Date (Capri Records, '03) by Flutology, a set that featured a front line trio of flutists Hofmann, Frank Wess and Ali Ryerson. The opener, the classic high octane "Be Bop," knocked me out. It seemed such an "un-flutey" number, but they just cooked on it. This ear-opener, an excellent disc all around, had me soon out searching the record racks for Herbie Mann and Hubert Laws, and getting deeper into the Brazilian sound.

On Minor Miracle Hofmann blows her bluesy, hard driving flute in front of an exceptional rhythm section—pianist Mike Wofford, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Victor Lewis—on an exceptionally fine set of mainstream and Latin sounds.

The group opens with "Everything I Love," one of those characteristically pretty Cole Porter melodies, with Hofmann and crew rolling in on a gentle, genteel-sounding groove, with pianist Wofford's solo floating feather-like—a la Bill Evans—over the lilting bounce of the bass/drum rhythm.

"CRS-CRAFT," written by the late bassist Ray Brown, with whom Hofmann toured extensively, gets down and swings more, Hofman insistent, Wofford precise and percussive. "Minor Miracle," written by Hofmann and Wofford—the pianist is the flutist's soul mate, musically and in marriage—features cool tones over a brightly bouncing rhythm; and Jobim's "Samba do Aviao," a piano/flute duet, features some of the disc's most intricately lovely interplay. The group Latinizes—and sizzles on—Billy Strayhorn's "Johnny Come Lately" (this listener's highlight) and offers up a wistful Brazilian ballad with Francis Hime's "Minha."

Hofmann was selected as a "Rising Star" in the latest Downbeat poll; they do know how to pick them. With Minor Miracle she proves that the saxophone or trumpet in front of the rhythm trio isn't the only jazz quartet game in town.

Track Listing

Everything I Love, CRS-CRAFT, Minor Miracle, Samba do Aviao, Tonk, Johnny Come Lately, Minha, Will You Still Be Mine

Personnel

Holly Hofmann--flute; Mike Wofford--piano; Peter Washington--bass; Victor Lewis--drums

Album information

Title: Minor Miracle | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Unknown label

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.