Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Greg Hopkins 16 Piece: Okavongo

227

The Greg Hopkins 16 Piece: Okavongo

By

Sign in to view read count
The Greg Hopkins 16 Piece: Okavongo
Summit Records has captured two sessions recorded in Boston by a large group of New England musicians led by trumpeter Greg Hopkins. Most of the music was composed by Hopkins and is designed to incorporate the events which have influenced him during the last 25 years, running from his work in jazz and Motown in Detroit to playing in and writing for such big bands as Buddy Rich's. The title is somewhat misleading. The music is less African than European symphonic. This group is in the mold of similar large contemporary bands that play in a concert like manner like the Carla Bley Very Big Band, the Mingus Big Band and the European based George Gruntz Concert Band. It also follows in the tradition of the Duke Ellington Orchestra when that unit played in a concert format. Like those organizations, the Hopkins units features exciting arrangements, tight, dynamic ensemble work and strong, straight ahead blowing from top rate soloists.

There are four two-part compositions on the album allowing Hopkins' ideas to be fully explored. "Steller-Prologue" and "Steller by Satellite" are journeys, relatively gentle rather than perilous, into the creative world of modern jazz, with jagged rhythms, dissonant give and take between instruments such as between Hopkins' trumpet, Joe Hunt's drums with clashing cymbals and Jeff Galindo's trombone.

Hopkins, as expected, gets most of the solo work, although sax man Bill Pierce and guitarist Mick Goodrick do quite well also. Pierce is allowed spacious solo room on the Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes" with Goodrick's guitar working underneath. This is one of the prime tracks on the album. Guitarist Goodrick is accorded much of the individual playing room. Okavongo offers exciting progressive jazz with classic symphonic jazz overtones and is recommended.

Track Listing

Stretchin'#; Okavongo*; Contra Part 1*; Contra Part 2*; Nightfall; Crackdown - Dialogue; Crackdown; Infant Eyes; Sphere of T. M. Part 1; Sphere of T. M. Part 2; Thoughts*; Steller - Prologue*; Steller by Satellite*

Personnel

Greg Hopkins
trumpet

Greg Hopkins, Scott DeOgburn, Don Gorder, Jeff Stout, Paul Fontaine, John Daly, George Zance - Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Larry Monroe, Bruce Nifong, Mark Pinto - Alto Sax/Flute; Bill Pierce - Tenor & Soprano Sax; Greg Badolato, John Griener - Tenor & Soprano Sax/ Flute; Tom Ferrante, Mark Phaneuf - Baritone Sax/Bass Clarinet; Tony Lada, Rick Stepton, Jeff Galindo, Jerry Ash, Tim Kelly - Trombone; Goodrick. Mick - Guitar; Tim Ray, Chris Neville, James Williams# - Piano; Paul Del Nero, Bruce Gertz - Bass; Joe Hunt - Drums

Album information

Title: Okavongo | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Summit 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

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

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.