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John Brown: Quiet Time
Bassist and bandleader John Brown was last heard backing Nneena Freelon on her
Christmas (Brown Boulevard Records, 2013) release leading one of his decidedly larger ensembles.
Quiet Time finds the bassist pared down to a classic trumpet-saxophone quintet size for a recital of after-hours tunes. Brown's fronting horns are trumpeter Ray Codrington and saxophonist Brian Miller. The disc is opened with a Miller spotlight, "Come Live With Me," presented haltedly reminiscent of the classic
Saturday Night Live closing theme " A Waltz in A." Miller plays alto saxophone sweetly, full of soul. Codrington adds an open bell solo equal to that of Millers.
And so progresses this disc through
Lonnie Smith's ..."and the Willow Weeps,
Oscar Peterson's "When Summer Comes" and, interestingly,
Elvin Jones' "A Lullaby of Itsugo Village" with Codrington muted and Miller playing tenor. Pianist Gabe Evens solos with angles smoothed by block chords and a slow tempo enforced by Brown and drummer
Adonis Rose. "You Don't Know What Love Is" is treated as the standard it is, played in that smoky, late-night way one would expect to hear Tony Bennett sing it with well-chosen vocal filigree and obbligato.
Quiet Time accomplishes what it sets out to do: to create and maintain a suspended mood of late night thoughts between well- directed notes.
Track Listing
Come Live With Me; Quiet Time; ...and the Willow Weeps; When Summer
comes; A Lullaby of Itsugo Village; You Don’t KNow What Love Is; When
October Goes; Theme for Monterey; Lost.
Personnel
John V. Brown: bass; Ray Codrington: trumpet, flugelhorn; Brian Miller:
saxophones; Gabe Evens: piano; Adonis Rose: drums.
Album information
Title: Quiet Time
| Year Released: 2014
| Record Label: Brown Boulevard Records
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