Home » Jazz Articles » Sherman Irby: Big Mama's Biscuits

Sherman Irby: Big Mama's Biscuits

By C. Michael Bailey
January 1, 1999
Sign in to view read count

Redux. AAJ 's John Sharpe opined a brief and sharp-creased assessment of this record in the November issue. I am chiming in to add some observations, not to try and improve on Mr. Sharpe's commentary.

The Heart of the Matter. Irby's performances with Ed Cherry on acoustic guitar reminds me of the Frank Morgan Collaboration Listen to the Dawn. Irby certainly lacks Morgan's "wounded" tone and phrasing, but their approaches with guitar accompaniment are parallel. He transverses the universe of Post Bop using the sextet ("Big Mama's Biscuits"), trio ("Conversing with Cannon"), and duo ("Take the 'A' Train") formats much in the same way that Joe Henderson has on his most recent recordings. This makes for a diverse mix of presentations. This disc never gets boring.

Track Listing

Conversing with Cannon, 'Bama, Lake Tuscaloosa, Big Mama's Biscuits, Passage of Time, Too High, Aunt Dorothy, Take the "A" Train, Call to Order, Away from Home, We're gonna Be Alright.

Personnel

Sherman Irby: Alto Saxophone; Gerald Cannon: Bass, Clifford Barbado: Drums; Ed Cherry: Guitar; Dana Murray: Drums; James Hurt: Piano; Roy Hargrove: Trumpet.

Album information

Title: Big Mama's Biscuits | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

Post a comment about this album

FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ

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.

WE NEED YOUR 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.