Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Don Ellis: Essence

137

Don Ellis: Essence

By

Sign in to view read count
Don Ellis: Essence
Originally released in 1962 on Pacific Jazz as P-55, this reissue has been a long time coming. It reveals the kernel of Don Ellis that later blossomed into a broad-based big bandleader who straddled the fence between mainstream jazz and free jazz. His intellectually complex compositions have always knocked the socks off listeners and performers alike.

Ellis wrote "Ostinato" in 1957 for the Seventh Army Jazz II orchestra in Germany. Its opening 7/8 meter, followed by simultaneous 5/8 and 4/4 meters and an 11/8 piano accompaniment for Ellis' creative trumpet solo, foretell the rhythmic storms that would follow his career.

Ellis, who had appeared on Charles Mingus' Mingus Dynasty and paid his dues in the ensembles of Ray McKinley, Charlie Barnet, Claude Thornhill, Maynard Ferguson, and George Russell, gave this quartet the creative juice that it wanted. Paul Bley and Gary Peacock continued in the same spirit long after Ellis' death in 1978.

You can feel the animated trademark Ellis trumpet soloing on "Form" and "Ostinato," where he syncopates with bebop authority and revitalizes with a virtuoso's thrills. "Irony" strolls through free jazz territory with substantial experimentation on board. "Angel Eyes" moves lyrically with a lush texture and deeply felt emotional stirrings, while "Lover" closes the session with a blazing-fast show of dexterity from all four artists. These guys could do everything. Between recording dates for this album, they performed a spiritual piece in church.

Highly recommended and essential, Essence opens the doors of your imagination and introduces the listener to a whole new ball game.

Track Listing

Johnny Come Lately; Slow Space; Ostinato; Donkey; Form; Angel Eyes; Irony; Lover.

Personnel

Don Ellis
trumpet

Don Ellis: trumpet; Paul Bley: piano; Gary Peacock: acoustic bass; Gene Stone: drums (1-3,6-8); Nick Martinis: drums (3,5).

Album information

Title: Essence | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Mighty Quinn Productions

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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

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.