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Terence Blanchard: Flow
By "Wadagbe," one of Loueke's compositions, serves as a perfect illustration of what's happening on this recording. Blanchard plays the tune's theme in unison with Loueke's acoustic guitar over crisply delineated polyrhymic drum kit/percussion parts, Hodge's muscular, grooving electric bass, and positively sparkling piano work from Parks. One is reminded of Hancock's early-1970s Mwandishi sextet by this mixture of electric groove, studio grease, and harmonic deptheven before Winston virtually channels Mwandishi reedsman Bennie Maupin in his patient, slow-building soprano sax solo. The resemblances are striking, andconsidering the man behind the boarddefinitely intentional. Loueke contributes a trademark, part-vocalized guitar solo over more of that tight, meaty electric bass and triggered human-voice synthesizer samples, and then Blanchard steps up with a strutting, open-horn solo full of long, staccato phrases and slurred, bent noteshe's technically playing at the peak of his powers right now.
Hancock's production on this album could have overwhelmed the actual music; instead, the slick mixes truly illuminate the rich tonal colors of the instrumentationevery element, be it synth, horn, or cymbal, is distinct and imbued with its own complimentary sonic identity. Besides, while this album's a studio artefact, this is an extremely physical band, composed as it is of players like Blanchard, Hodge, and Scott, all playing with almost bruising proficiency: witness those three interacting on the Latin-flavored, rhythmically complex "Wandering Wonder."
Hancock replaces Parks on the piano for two songs, and while Parks is above reproach on songs like "Wadagbe" and "Benny's Tune," one still notices and marvels at Hancock's touch, especially on Scott's elegant, waltz-time "The Source." Hancock's solo here digs deep into the song's heart, both harmonically and emotionally, and his comping alongside Winston's across-the-beat tenor break is fascinating.
Parks' "Harvesting Dance" is just as good, though, as the band builds drama throughout this Spanish-mode epic to almost unbearable effect. Here, and everywhere, really, on Flow, Blanchard sounds like the luckiest man in the world: confident, able, inspiredand delighted by the company he's keeping. This band will only get better on the road.
Track Listing
Flow part I; Wadagbe (intro); Wadagbe; Benny's Tune; Wandering Wonder; Flow part II; The Source; Over There; Child's Play; Flow part III; Harvesting Dance.
Personnel
Terence Blanchard
trumpetTerence Blanchard: trumpet, synth programming; Brice Winston, tenor and soprano saxophone, Yamaha WX5; Lionel Loueke: guitar, vocals; Aaron Parks: piano (2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11); Herbie Hancock: piano (4, 7); Derrick Hodge: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums; Howard Drossin: synth programming (11); Gretchen Parlato: vocals (8, 9).
Album information
Title: Flow | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Blue Note Records
Comments
About Terence Blanchard
Instrument: Trumpet
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