Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Eric Ineke Jazzxpress: Jazz XL

115

The Eric Ineke Jazzxpress: Jazz XL

By

Sign in to view read count
The Eric Ineke Jazzxpress: Jazz XL
Straight-ahead and alternatively swinging and blue, The Eric Ineke Jazzxpress' Jazz XL delivers a terrific performance through first-rate material treated with energetic, loving respect. Some of jazz's great composers are represented, with performances of material by Xavier Cugat, Johnny Griffin, and the ubiquitous Thelonious Monk, showing admiration for the tunes, overlain with top-notch individual performances. Culled from three live performances in Holland, recorded in 2008 and 2009, the set supports the notion that good things continue to happen across the pond.

Without reading the credits, it might be easy to assume that "A Monk's Dream" was written by Thelonious Monk (not to be confused with the pianist's actual composition, "Monk's Dream"). That it was actually written by Johnny Griffin reveals the depth of the tenor saxophonist's appreciation for Monk's unique musical language, despite their too-brief time playing together. Here, Ineke goes so far as to include the two quick drum strikes immediately preceding the opening melodic statement; a nod to the signature of a performance now over fifty years old. Taking the first workout, tenor saxophonist Sjoerd Dijkhuizen}} likewise exhibits an innate grasp of the off-center melody with a wonderfully dissonant line.

Trumpeter Ruud Breuls opens and largely sustains a simple duet arrangement of "You Don't Know What Love Is" with pianist Rob Van Bavel. Bruels' treatment of the melody—as well as his solo—is warm and tender, befitting such a romantic ballad. Bavel also has a good emotional grasp of the tune, even as he builds his improvisation with more aggressive cadenzas and an overall faster hand.

"The JAMF's Are Coming" is a big, full-band blues workout reminiscent of those great Pablo All Stars recordings of the 1970s. It swings hard and, at eleven minutes long, has plenty of room for extended turns from everyone. It's just a good old- fashioned jam.

The lone original on the record, bassist Marius Beets' "Jotosco" is another jam, but with a harder bop sensibility and more of an "Ali vs. Frazier" trading of improvisations between Dijkhuizen and trumpeter Rik Mol, both acquit themselves well. Ineke, taking a rare solo turn, shows himself to possess a great grasp of the details. He pounds pretty hard, but also subtly pulls his rhythms, adding an additional layer of sophistication.

Jazz XL may not be possess startlingly creative originals, or even particularly forward-looking interpretations, but it's not supposed to be. A fine album of mostly standards, performed by an excellent band with clear understanding of the music, in the end, it delivers something simply compelling: a great record to hear.

Track Listing

Nightingale; A Monk's Dream; You Don't Know What Love Is; The JAMF's Are Coming; 'Round Midnight; A Portrait of Jenny; Jotosco.

Personnel

Eric Ineke: drums; Ruud Bruels: trumpet and flugelhorn (2,3 & 4); Rik Mol: trumpet and flugelhorn (1,5 & 7); Sjoerd Dijkhuizen: tenor sax; Rob Van Bavel: piano; Rob Van Kreeveld: piano (6); Marius Beets: bass.

Album information

Title: Jazz XL | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Challenge 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.