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Joanne Brackeen: Pink Elephant Magic
On this, her twenty second release as a leader and first effort for Arkadia, Brackeen is in no short supply of guests to comprise her front line. Chris Potter, a very welcome recent addition to bassist David Holland's band is on hand offering up angular, but lyrical soprano work and a probing but not listless tenor approach, that reminds a listener why he is the first tenor in Holland's group in fifteen years. While it would be expected that a versatile saxophonist like Potter would be a good match for Brackeen's almost Ornette like, shifting composing structures, trumpeter Nicholas Payton is a nice surprise. With monster chops and the Brownie like tone, the current pride of Nawlins casts a propulsive fluid groove all throughout the proceedings, particularly on Cram N' Exam, a fitting title for this frenetic outing, being that it is dedicated by Brackeen, an instructor at Berklee to her students. Sharing yet another connection with Holland, who is also able to arrive at an identifiable, individual approach that makes their new releases rise above the flood of decent, well played but bland sea of output, is soprano labelmate Dave Liebman, who sits in on the final tune.
At any point on the record, a listener is struck by the inventiveness of the compositions as well as the playing. From her reharmonization of the bridge of Jobim's Wave, to the quirkiness of her original tunes, one is certain about who's project this is. In itself, that is a rarity. "Pink Elephant Magic", along with her other fine recent work validates the statement made by the late Leonard Feather that Joanne Brackeen is as important to the time period covering the last 19 years as Bill Evans and Herbie were to the 60's, McCoy and Keith Jarret to the '70's. How Joanne Brackeen has not become a bigger name outside jazz music circles, I don't know. But for those who discover her and her new record, it is a treasure found.
Track Listing
Pink Elephant Magic; Ghost Butter; Wave; What’s Your Choice, Rolls Royce?; Beethoven Meets the Millennium in Spain; Strange Meadowlark; Tico Tico; In Vogue; Cram n Exam; Filenes.
Personnel
JoAnne Brackeen
pianoJohn Patitucci
bass, acousticChris Potter
saxophoneNicholas Payton
trumpetKurt Elling
vocalsDave Liebman
saxophone, sopranoAlbum information
Title: Pink Elephant Magic | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Arkadia Records