Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Richard Davis: Forest Flowers

305

Richard Davis: Forest Flowers

By

Sign in to view read count
Richard Davis: Forest Flowers
Most jazz aficionados should be familiar with the artistry of bassist Richard Davis who over the years has performed with the best and brightest, spanning multiple genres. Davis is also a preeminent bowed bassist and with Forest Flowers, “32 Jazz” sees good reason to re-release material Davis recorded during the mid to late 70’s, as these works represent sessions that were originally issued on the now defunct “Muse” label. Here, we find Davis performing with bassist Bill Lee, trumpeter Marvin “Hannibal” Peterson, saxophonist James Spaulding and others of note as the band stamps out a mid-tempo swing version of Charles Lloyd’s infamous “Forest Flower”, a sublime rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s “Passion Flower” among others. Davis and saxophonist Joe Henderson go head to head during their persuasive duet titled, “On The Trail” which represents sessions culled from a 1977 date titled, “Way Out West”. The bassist also initiates a softy stated arco-bass intro to an upbeat spin on “Dear Old Stockholm”, featuring pianist Chick Corea, drummer Frankie Dunlop and bassist Bill Lee. Hence, a pleasant enough retrospective especially If you’re an aspiring bassist or long time fan of Richard Davis. Otherwise, the overall presentation tends to wear a bit thin on subsequent spins although there are some bright moments in addition to Davis’ stunning bowed bass soloing and impeccable mode of execution.

* * * (out of * * * * *)

Track Listing

Forest Flower; Take The A Train; Passion Flower; A Third Away; Wind Flower; Dear Old Stockholm; Monica; The Rabbi; Baby Sweets; On The Trail; I

Personnel

Richard Davis
bass, acoustic
Ted Dunbar
guitar
Bill Lee
bass, acoustic

(Tracks 1-5) Richard Davis; Bass: Ted Dunbar; Guitar: Bill Lee; Bass: Consuela Moore; Piano: Marvin

Album information

Title: Forest Flowers | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: 32 Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 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.

You Can 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.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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