Joe Locke: Beauty Burning

David Adler

Columnist since 1999

Recent articles (311 total)

Published: November 1, 2000

Vibraphonist Joe Locke and pianist Frank Kimbrough have a developed a camaraderie that was well documented on 1999’s Saturn’s Child. Beauty Burning is the next chapter in that fruitful relationship, but this time bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts join the party. Guitarist Paul Bollenback also appears on three tracks. Kicking off the session with Chick Corea’s up-tempo "Litha," Locke launches right into his furious lines and weaves them through the tune’s complicated form. His intensity remains at a high level on Darrell Grant’s R&B-flavored "Twilight," Ray Drummond’s medium-slow hard bop chart "I-95," and Locke’s closing Latin/swing romp "Rasputainian Dance," the last of which features a particularly hot solo by Bollenback.

Bollenback’s acoustic guitar is a nice touch on Kimbrough’s "Quiet As It’s Kept," a composition that appeared — quite differently — on the pianist’s album Noumena. Similarly, Watts’s "Pools of Amber," originally recorded in trio with the late Kenny Kirkland on Citizen Tain, appears here as a beautiful quartet piece. Locke and Kimbrough bring back the sparkling textures of Saturn’s Child with a duo reading of "Where Is Love," a ballad from the film Oliver. The most serious magic, however, happens on Locke’s "Somewhere Waiting." Kimbrough reaches great heights during his solo and is cleverly featured playing the catchy riff alone toward the end of the song.

Locke is a fiery and speedy player, tremendously exciting to listen to. But he also knows how to coax lyrical possibilities from every tune, and how to feature his band to full effect.

Track Listing: 1. Litha 2. Twilight 3. Pools of Amber 4. Somewhere Waiting 5. Quiet As It

Personnel: Joe Locke, vibraphone; Frank Kimbrough, piano; Ray Drummond, bass; Jeff "Tain" Watts, drums; Paul Bollenback, guitar (tracks 2, 5, and 8)

Record Label: Sirocco Music Limited
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream

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Date	Venue	Tickets
May30	Luna Cafe De Pere, WI
Jun13	Duke's Hall London,
Jun15	St. Luke's London,
Jun16	St. Luke's London,
Jun17	St. Luke's London,
Jun18	St. Luke's London,
Jun19	St. Luke's London,
Jul06	Kaul Auditorium at Reed College Portland, OR
Jul11	Tula's Seattle, WA
Jul25	92nd St Y NYC
Sep02	Detroit Jazz Festival Detroit, MI
Sep28	Lehman Performing Arts Center Bronx
Dec01	Miner Auditorium, SFJAZZ Center San Francisco, CA
Feb03	Musikhochschule Nürnberg Nürnberg,
Feb04	Musikhochschule Nürnberg Nürnberg,

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David Adler

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