Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » J.D. Allen: Pharoah's Children

195

J.D. Allen: Pharoah's Children

By

Sign in to view read count
J.D. Allen: Pharoah's Children
When it comes to recordings of mainstream excellence, it's hard to ignore the impressive battery of titles that producer Gerry Teekens has built up for his Criss Cross imprimatur. The label has established an consistently reliable reputation among experienced musicians, most recently shifting towards documenting some cutting edge musicians of a younger age. Case in point, Detroit-raised J.D. Allen, whose first album for the Dutch based company is a point of departure from their typical fare, albeit with a flavor that can be heard in the work of Tim Warfield.

As a saxophonist, Allen is indebted to inspirations such as Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, George Coleman, and the previously mentioned Warfield. At the center of his sound are a firm attack and fluidity in both register extremes that speaks of an acknowledged technical prowess. As a writer (he penned all eleven of the album’s cuts), Allen takes as a jumping off point the work of the Miles Davis quintet circa 1966. Many of the pieces are limited in melodic content, jumping directly to often incendiary solo moments from the saxophonist and pianist Orrin Evans, all spurred on by a rhythm section of Eric Revis and Gene Jackson. Most of the tracks clock in at six minutes or less and fall under two major categories: up-tempo ‘burn outs’ or dark and mysterious ballads. Up-and-comer Jeremy Pelt is heard to great advantage on three selections, and one could argue that it might have been a good idea to have him available throughout.

In the end, it might have served Allen better to pare down the selections to a smaller number and develop each one more fully. As such, it would become easier to distinguish one composition from another. Regardless, hats off to both Criss Cross and Allen for taking some risks. One can be sure that we’ll be hearing more from this talented youngster in the future.

Track Listing

Our Man Revis, Queen Elisabeth, Mademoiselle Blackman, So Get Rid of the Midgets and Send in the Giants, The Annex, The Bitter Pill, Mr. O.E., Pharoah's Children, House of Eugene, Action Jackson, Question.

Personnel

JD Allen
saxophone, tenor

J.D. Allen: tenor sax; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet (1, 3, 11); Orrin Evans: piano; Eric Revis: bass; Gene Jackson: drums.

Album information

Title: Pharoah's Children | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Criss Cross

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
Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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