Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Greg Chako: Sudden Impact
Greg Chako: Sudden Impact
ByHaving secured a six-night a week gig in Singapore's upmarket Raffles Hotel in 1995 with his working trio of Singaporean drummer Tama Goh and Filipino-Singaporean bassist Billy Martinez, Chako went on to add guest musicians and this led to a studio recording with an augmented band the following year. The music begins with his self-penned title track and features Don Gomes on piano and Otrie B. Barrett Jr. on tenor sax. The Jimmy Van Heusen classic "Nancy (With A Laughing Face)" follows with a beautiful intro from Chako.
Other highpoints include the immortal "You Don't Know What Love Is," which is given a superb Latin-flavored reading. Chako's bluesy original "Fried Curry Pies" is inspired by Wes Montgomery''s "Fried Pies." "Jones' In" comes out of the gate in splashy fashion. Inspired by Jimmy Heath's "Big P," this one is a burner for sure.
The mellow spot of the album is Jules Styne's "People," where Chako plays it warm and gentle. This classic is followed by another, "I Remember You," where once again the leader is up front, playing cool and relentless. The album closes on two wonderful songs, the familiar "Morning" and then the less familiar "Gone with the Wind." They say that jazz is timeless and Sudden Impact is an excellent example of that truth.
Track Listing
Sudden Impact; Nancy (with the laughing face); Sussy's Song; You Don't Know What Love Is; Fried Curry Pies; Everything Happens to Me; Jones'in; People; I Remember You; Morning; Gone With the Wind.
Personnel
Greg Chako
guitarTama Goh
drumsBilly Martinez
bass, acousticDon Gomes
pianoOtrie B. Barrett Jr.
saxophone, tenorAlbum information
Title: Sudden Impact | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Mint 400 Records
< Previous
A Few Of My Favorite 2022 Jazz Things...
Next >
Take Five With Renée Manning