Roberto Magris’ Journey to the Heart of Hard Bop

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

Recent articles (1,697 total)

Published: July 29, 2012

Mal Waldron's "Fire Waltz" and "Andrew Hill's "East 9th Street" showcase two other mammoth but lesser known talents. As is all hard bop, these are sturdy compositions that resist bravely interpretation outside the idiom. Magris, joined by bassist Elisa Pruett and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, faithfully perform these tunes, updating them in such a way that they lose none of the punch of the originals. This disc is not a rote homage to hard bop so much as it is an attentive appreciation rendered by three like-minded musicians recalling a heyday long gone.

Tracks and Personnel

Morgan Rewind: A Tribute to Lee Morgan Vol. 1

Tracks: Roberto Magris: piano; Brandon Lee: trumpet; Logan Richardson: alto saxophone; Elisa Pruett: bass; Albert "Tootie" Heath: drums.

Personnel: Croquet Ballet; Party Time; Desert Moonlight; Lee-Too; Ceora; Hocus Pocus; Eclipso; Mr. Kenyatta; Lee Morganized; Audio Liner Notes.

One Night in With Hope and More...Vol. 1

Tracks: Happy Hour; If You Could See Me Now; Theme from "The Pawn Broker"; I Didn't Know About You; Elmo's Delight; Half May; East 9th Street; My Heart Stood Still; Fire Waltz; Audio Notebook.