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Dave Holland / Gonzalo Rubalcaba / Chris Potter / Eric Harland: The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival
ByWith new music provided by each musician and just four days of rehearsals before the Concert, the quartet's second performance (on Dizzy Den's stage) captured the magic of MJF, as Holland recalls in the liners: "There was really an electric atmosphere from the audience. There was an energy we all felt..." From the smoking gun of Harland's "Treachery," an exhausting number where each player is illuminatedin particularly Harland's explosive traps and Potter's commanding tenorto the modernistic swing of Holland's funk-groove "Step To It," the music illustrates the chemical reaction between an appreciative crowd and exceptional live jazz.
The air was rife with expectancy. Harland's statuesque ballad, "Maiden," features a superb bass solo from Holland followed by Potter's alluring warmth and a cooler contemplation from Rubalcaba's introspective and imaginative keys. A gifted pianist with an exquisite touch, Rubalcaba surprises with the boppin street vibe of "50," a dancing piece that shows not only his dexterity and chops, but the soulful blues modality of Herbie Hancock.
Holland opens his own "Veil of Tears" with another profound solo spot, morphing into a flowing tempo where Rubalcaba and Potter share a vivid comp/solo dialog. Holland's introduction of the band sets up the final curtain call, "Ask Me Why." At just over eleven minutes, it literally burned down Dizzy Den's drapes and its entire stage with a stunning show of consummate group connectivity and execution, gloriously documented. By the time the band finished, it was worthy of an ecstatic standing ovation...and still is.
Visit Dave Holland , Gonzalo Rubalcaba , Chris Potter and Eric Harland on the web.
Track Listing
Treachery; Minotaur; Otra Mirada; Step To It; Maiden; 50; Veil Of Tears; Spoken Introduction; Ask Me Why.
Personnel
Dave Holland
bassDave Holland: bass; Gonzalo Rubalcaba: piano; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone; Eric Harland: drums.
Album information
Title: The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Monterey Jazz Festival Records