Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Melvin Smith: Portrait

314

Melvin Smith: Portrait

By

Sign in to view read count
Melvin Smith: Portrait
Using gospel elements in a jazz context can be a hit-or-miss proposition. Depending on the background and integrity of the musicians involved, the results can often be trite, or shamelessly bent towards commercialism. Upon hearing Portrait it's obvious that saxophonist/composer Melvin Smith is equally adept in both genres. Smith is able to successfully blur the lines between the tradition of the spiritual and the inventiveness of jazz; demonstrating the obvious connections missing from the sounds of so many contemporary improvisers.

Portrait is full of exceptional musical interplay, especially between Smith and trumpeter Reggie Pittman. Smith's reworking of the spirituals "Go Down Moses and "Wade in the Water allow for the two front-line soloists to stretch out over a swinging modal backdrop. Smith's sleek soprano blends in nicely with Pittman's flugelhorn on the Latin-tinged "Manasseh. The two weave through the twists and turns of the challenging melody in perfect simpatico. The lengthy duet between Smith and pianist Gregory Royals on "God Bless the Child is a serene meditation that recalls the spiritual renderings of Charles Lloyd.

Another stand-out moment on the disc is Smith's hard-driving lines on his harmonically rich composition "Trylenera, presented in two parts. The saxophonist mixes modern ideas with a tone reminiscent of past masters like Hank Mobley and George Coleman.

Portrait is an honest representation of an artist willing to take chances while respecting the musical traditions of his past. Smith has the potential to reach a broad audience without compromising an ounce of artistic integrity.

Track Listing

Lord I Lift Your Name On High; Go Down Moses/Wade in the Water; Manasseh; Trylenera (part 1); Someday We'll All Be Free; 1750 Washington St.; God Bless the Child; Trylenera (part 2); We Shall Overcome.

Personnel

Melvin Smith
saxophone

Melvin Smith: soprano and tenor saxophone, piano overdubs; Lino C. Gomez: acoustic and electric bass; Reggie Pittman: trumpet, flugelhorn; Stephen Lee: piano (1-4, 9); Gregory Royals: piano (5-8); Sam Knight: drums (1-4, 9); Ezra Henry: drums (5, 6, 8).

Album information

Title: Portrait | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Self Produced

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.