Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ellery Eskelin: Forms

215

Ellery Eskelin: Forms

Ellery Eskelin: Forms
In sixteen years of recording, Ellery Eskelin has focused much of his work on the trio. From Joey Baron’s unusual sax-bone-drum combo Baron Down (with Steve Swell on trombone) to his own bands (notably his trio with Andrea Parkins and Jim Black, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year), the three-piece has served Eskelin well. But even on his excellent Gene Ammons tribute The Sun Died (Soul Note, 1996) Eskelin sidestepped the traditional sax-bass-drum lineup, employing guitarist Marc Ribot instead of a bassist.

Maybe that’s because he covered the traditional sax trio ground in a swoop or two with his first recording outfit. The 1990 release Forms, originally on Sound Minds and now reissued by Hatology, could be taken as a fast exhaustion of the Sonny Rollins lineup. The song titles suggest a sort of overview, opening with “Blues” and working through “Ballads,” “Latin,” “Bebop,” and “In Three” and, for good measure, a Duke Ellington composition, the oft-overlooked “African Flower.” It’s no rote recital, however; the band isn’t merely playing by the numbers. The performances are confident and heartfelt, and Eskelin’s tenor sounds great against the rhythm section of Drew Gress and Phil Haynes.

The reductivist approach to Forms carries a certain logic, following Setting the Standard, their first (and only other) recording, released by Cadence and yet to be put out on CD. First they worked through a set of standards, then they boiled it down to style. Eskelin has grown in the ensuing years, and he sounds better on the nine discs he went on to record for Hat. But the typical has become unusual for Eskelin, and Forms fulfills function.

Track Listing

1. Blues (Eskelin) 8:19 2. In Three (Eskelin) 8:49 3. Ballad (Eskelin) 10:28 4. Latin (Eskelin) 9:16 5. Fleurette Africaine (Eskelin) 10:31 6. Vignettes (Eskelin) 10:40 7. Bebop (Eskelin) 4:20

Personnel

Ellery Eskelin
saxophone, tenor

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone Drew Gress - bass Phil Haynes - drums

Album information

Title: Forms | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Hat Hut Records

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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

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.