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Darrell Grant: Smokin' Java
The album's first four tracks are up-tempo pieces of various speeds. Even the usually sedately played "If I Should Lose You" is given a throbbing post bop treatment as vibraphonist Joe Locke's solo expands on Milt Jackson's 1981 rendition moving it further into the realm of modern improvisational jazz. It's not until track five, Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye," that everyone relaxes, and this is carried over into "Quiet Times." The serenity of Carmen Lundy's composition is respected by the introspective approach. Taken by the group. The great bop groups of the past are honored with the out of the 1960's title piece, Grant's "Smokin' Java," making this cut a fitting coda.
Grant's playing falls somewhere in between Sonny Clark and the pre fusion incarnation of Herbie Hancock, a wide spectrum indeed. But this album shows that he is unarguably a unique piano artist. The support he gets is impeccable. Joe Locke, a sought after vibes player, and altoist Donald Harrison, a former wunderkind himself, are the major protagonists of the musical drama with Grant. But the playing of bassist Stata and drummer Blade make them indispensable parts of the whole. A good story and good music, always a winning combination, makes Smokin' Java recommended.
Track Listing
Little Jimmy Fiddler; If I Should Lose You; You Must Believe In Spring; Spring Skylight; Goodbye; Quiet Times; Slander; Smokin' Java.
Personnel
Darrell Grant
pianoDarrell Grant: piano; Joe Locke: vibraphone; Donald Harrison: alto saxophone; Bob Stata: acoustic bass; Brian Blade: drums.
Album information
Title: Smokin' Java | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Lair Hill Records
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