Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Joe Locke & 4 Walls Of Freedom: Dear Life

Joe Locke & 4 Walls Of Freedom: Dear Life

By Elliott Simon
September 25, 2004
View read count

Joe Locke & 4 Walls Of Freedom: Dear Life

Consider the following: A musical concept that allows for total freedom within the context of the four walls of melody, rhythm, harmony and form is brought to fruition. Each player brings to this space instrumental virtuosity, a unique timbre, and a personal sense of dynamics and coloration. The first heady energetic foray into these circumscribed confines is a success. But then terrible tragedy strikes outside the walls and we learn how Dear Life really is.

With last year's 4 Walls of Freedom , vibraphonist Joe Locke accomplished his conceptual and compositional goals. By combining the powerful energy of Bob Berg's tenor sax with his own instrument's unique voice, Locke became a force to reckon with on the international jazz landscape. With the tragic death of Berg, Locke has enlisted Scottish tenor man Tommy Smith and a rhythm section of drummer Gary Novak and bassist Ed Howard to reflect on and celebrate the dearness of life.

The extended "Wind In Your Willow" shows Smith to have a relaxed rounded tone as he effectively brings the piece to a point where some inventive soloing can come to the fore. Locke, as would an experienced pianist, excels at augmenting Smith with intriguing vibraphonic chords and then stepping in himself to stretch the boundaries. By mastering the vibraphone's subtle chordal abilities, he is able to effect what amounts to an orchestral sound in concert with Novak's expansive drumming. This is evident in the title piece, which proves to be a moving composition of awe and reverence. The vibes' exquisite coloration capabilities are utilized to differentiate amongst faint shades of grey on an ethereal solo interpretation of pianist Renee Rosnes' "Manhattan Rain," while "Verazano Moon" equally has Smith delicately displaying admiration for the beauty of celestial wonder. Dear Life successfully reflects on unanswerable questions within the space of Locke's four walls.

Track Listing

Wind in Your Willow; Dear Life; Cut and Paste; Eva; Ennui; For B.B.; Manhattan Rain; Malonius; Verrazano Moon.

Personnel

Joe Locke

vibraphone

Joe Locke: vibes, midi vibes, marimba; Tommy Smith: tenor saxophone; Ed Howard: acoustic bass; Gary Novak: drums.

Album information

Title: Dear Life | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Sirocco Music Limited

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Solu
< Previous

Listening
Next >

Support All About 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 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.