Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Chris Cheek: Blues Cruise

414

Chris Cheek: Blues Cruise

By

View read count
Chris Cheek: Blues Cruise
Even though he has turned in one stunning performance after another on albums by Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band, Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, Guillermo Klein's Los Gauchos and various lesser-known, though equally interesting ensembles, Chris Cheek is still a lurker.



Your only good chance of seeing this reedman live is in New York or on the other side of the pond, where he makes frequent tours. The problem has nothing to do with Cheek's playing. It's the game: labels, distributors, publicists, writiers, editors. Nevertheless, Blues Cruise did get to me by some freakish fluke, and I've gotten to savor its pleasing variety of textures and styles.

The erstwhile Brad Mehldau Trio is the backing band on Blues Cruise. Cheek couldn't have asked for a more empathetic and sensitive rhythm team for this program, which ranges from the calypso-tinged "Flamingo to the soft Rhodes-laden bossa-tango "Coo and the folk rock-informed "John Denver, which actually sounds like a convincing jazz version of what would otherwise be a rock song with electric guitars and bass.



The title of this release would seem to imply that the tunes center around the blues, but they don't, really. Some have a bluesy flavor. But it seems to be more about the journey. The soprano ballads have a searching quality, while the tenor romps are more declaratory.

The saxophonist's rich tone is the most notable constant throughout the record. It has a richness and flavor that's akin to a fine wine or cigar. The vivacity and frolicking quality of Cheek's breathy tenor owe much to the influence of Sonny Rollins, while his rhythmic flair draws equally from Eddie Harris. Comparisons to Chris Potter and Donny McCaslin also come to mind, but without all the shrieking and pyrotechnics.



This record is a testament to the fact that no matter how far any player may be from the media limelight—and consequently the public consciousness—a great soloist coupled with a terrific backing band can make for some of the freshest music you've ever heard.

Track Listing

Flamingo; Low Key Lightly; Coo; Squirrelling; Song of India; Falling; Blues Cruise; John Denver; The Sweetheart Tree.

Personnel

Chris Cheek
saxophone

Chris Cheek: saxophones; Brad Mehldau: piano, Fender Rhodes, electric keyboard; Larry Grenadier: bass; Jorge Rossy: drums, hand percussion.

Album information

Title: Blues Cruise | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Fresh Sound New Talent

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.