Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bobby Lewis: Instant Groove

149

Bobby Lewis: Instant Groove

By

Sign in to view read count
Bobby Lewis: Instant Groove
Bobby Lewis' recurring theme in speaking about the music here is of the "instant groove. Lewis is right in drawing attention to the idea, for that groove is not a myth. To bring it home all the more conclusively, Lewis uses various lineups and gives these compositions their due, all of which makes for a recording that is entertaining on several levels.

The ripple effects of a heady tune are felt as the guitar and horns greet "Morning, which the arrangement opens to the band. Pat Mallinger has the first dig at the Latin groove, which he excavates with deep, earthy tones that change furrow and direction constantly. Jim Ryan brings in a lighter angle and a softer blush of color on the piano; Lewis extends the skein with a gorgeous and deeper hue, before Curtis Robinson snaps in on the guitar, going off onto blues avenue and making incisive statements with nods to the melody.

They waltz in on "Together We'll Stay, the melody immediate, the playing crackling with soothing warmth. Lewis uses the tonality of the flugelhorn to stoke the flame. He says that the melodic syncopations on Jelly Roll Morton's "Grandpa's Spells may not be exactly as Morton had notated, but the tune sizzles just as well. Lewis leads the march on cornet and alto trumpet, shadowed by Mallinger and counterpointed by Dan Perantoni on the tuba.

Track Listing

The New Delhi Deli; The Shining Sea; Edda; Dreamsville; Morning; Sauce Melba; Line for Lyons; Two for the Road; Grandpa

Personnel

Bobby Lewis
trumpet

Bobby Lewis: trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, alto trumpet; Jim Ryan: piano, synthesizer; Pat Mallinger: alto and tenor saxophone; Curtis Robinson: guitar; Rob Amster: acoustic and electric bass; Jeff Stitely: drums; Rob Kassinger: acoustic bass (8,11); Thomas Kini: electric bass (4,10); Alejo Poveda: percussion (1,5,10): Burl Lane: bassoon & tenor saxophone (4); Dan Perantoni: tuba (9).

Album information

Title: Instant Groove | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Southport 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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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