Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Don Pullen: Mosaic Select
Don Pullen: Mosaic Select
Breakthrough and Song Everlasting are filled with moments of glorious rapture. From the sure-footed optimism of "Mr. Smoothie" to the contemplative "Sing Me a Song Everlasting," this band is capable of going in any direction, or many directions at once. Pullen, with his patented swirling glissandos, makes the head spin with his dizzying forays. The only thing keeping him from completely flying off into oblivion is his incessant left hand firmly rooted in gospel and swing. On "The Necessary Blues," the band plays bop, stride, and Monk with astonishing celerity, and their effortless, jaw-dropping technique comes off like a fast-forward newsreel history of jazz.
The remaining discs consist of Pullen working in pair of different trio settings. The first one, with superstars Tony Williams (drums) and Gary Peacock (bass), is a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the songs, such as the joyous "Jana's Delight" and the dramatic "At the Café Centrale," come off quite well. The title tune is a bit cloying in its attempt to out-Monk Monk, and "Reap the Whirlwind" overdoes it, sounding more like someone whirling a rope through the air for seven minutes than creating music.
The second trio, with bassist James Genus and drummer Lewis Nash, is a bit more accessible, presenting the funky "Andre's Ups and Downs" and evocative "The Dancer," with Pullen displaying his talent for combining accessibility and abstraction. This musically creative and challenging set takes the listeners where they've been before, deeper than they'd been before, and finally to where they've never been.
Track Listing
CD1: 1. Mr. Smoothie (A) (6:04); 2. Just Foolin' Around (A) (6:19); 3. Song From The Old
Country (A) (8:11); 4. We've Been Here All The Time (A) (9:09); 5. A Time For Sobriety (A)
(9:42); 6. The Necessary Blues (or Thank You Very Much, Mr. Monk) (A) (13:33); 7. Sun
Watchers (B) (5:43); 8. Serenade To Sariah (B) (7:35); 9. 1529 Gunn Street (For Johnny
Holloway) (B) (6:14).
CD2: 1. Warm Up (B) (9:50); 2. Sing Me A Song Everlasting (For EBU and Hamiet
Bluiett) (B) (10:30); 3. Another Reason To Celebrate (B) (8:44); 4. Jana's Delight (C) (5:56);
5. Once Upon A Time (C) (5:47); 6. Warriors (C) (6:45); 7. New Beginnings (C) (6:20); 8. At
The Caf
Personnel
Don Pullen
piano(A) George Adams, tenor sax; Don Pullen, piano; Cameron Brown, bass; Dannie Richmond, drums. (B) George Adams, tenor sax; Don Pullen, piano; Cameron Brown, bass; Dannie Richmond, drums. (C) Don Pullen, piano; Gary Peacock, bass; Tony Williams, drums. (D) Don Pullen, piano; James Genus, bass; Lewis Nash, drums.
Album information
Title: Mosaic Select | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Mosaic Records
Comments
Tags
For the Love of Jazz
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.
Giveaway
Days remaining: 12
