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Bernard Purdie: Soul To Jazz II
by Douglas Payne
Once you're a legend, it must be a legendary drag living up to your own reputation. After years of setting distinctive beats for King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, scores of Atlantic sessions and almost every acid-jazzer, drummer Bernard Purdie has a legendary reputation as the funk drummer. Trouble is the man earned his rep while he was ...
Frank Foster: Soul Outing
by Douglas Payne
This 1966 session lives up to its title, offering the strong, comfortable appeal of a solid Lee Morgan record. Soul Outing was Foster's second Prestige record after concluding an 11-year stint in the Count Basie band in 1964 (the first, Fearless, was also recently issued on CD). Although he'd developed a reputation as an ace arranger, ...
Piero Umiliani: To-Day's Sound
by Douglas Payne
Piero Umiliani scored over 60 films in his native Italy between 1958 and 1981. And it's no secret that Italian films, even as derivative and as unfamiliar as they are to most Americans, are a treasure trove of excellent artistry. The recent “now-sound" craze is finally affording Italian film composers like Umiliani their due. This 1971 ...
Ray Draper: The Ray Draper Quintet Featuring John Coltrane
by Douglas Payne
What makes this fairly typical bop outing unique is that the leader plays tuba. Ray Draper (1940-82) was only 17 when he recorded this quintet date in 1957, his third of three for Prestige, and, as much as possible, he makes the clunky instrument swing. As Ira Gitler's interesting notes point out, the tuba was a ...
The Cabildos: Cross Fire
by Douglas Payne
This is the second disc by mysterious keyboardist John Cabildo that the Italian label Schema has released in the last year. The first, Yuxtapocision, under the nom de disc of Cabildo's Three, was a gem of light, tight, funky grooves. This one – presumably recorded in Miami sometime in the mid-70s, too – is less interesting ...
Dave Samuels: Tjader-ized: A Cal Tjader Tribute
by Douglas Payne
Following Poncho Sanchez's 1995 tribute, Soul Sauce (Concord Picante), this is the second Latin jazz tribute to the undersung vibraphonist Cal Tjader (1925-82). Tjader began playing drums for George Shearing in the 40s then later for Dave Brubeck. He switched to vibes and began exploring his love of Latin music on a series of successful records ...
James Andrews: Satchmo of the Ghetto
by Douglas Payne
It's a bold move aligning yourself with the great Louis Armstrong. But it seems if anyone could pull it off its 28-year old trumpeter James Andrews. The New Orleans native actually earned the moniker “Satchmo of the Ghetto" back in his Treme neighborhood. He's come up through a variety of brass bands and has played with ...
Pat Martino: We'll Be Together Again
by Douglas Payne
A real beauty, We'll Be Together Again pairs the outstanding jazz guitarist Pat Martino with electric pianist Gil Goldstein for a song cycle that explores ballads and more meditative / contemplative material. It's a perfect union that surprisingly never waivers throughout 45 minutes from maintaining its listener's attention or interest. Goldstein, especially, is the ideal tonal ...
Don Sebesky: I Remember Bill (A Tribute To Bill Evans)
by Douglas Payne
Veteran arranger Don Sebesky crafts an often-glowing portrait of famed jazz pianist Bill Evans in this quite welcome orchestral jazz tribute. While he is too often derided (and unfairly) as the guy who mucked up Wes Montgomery and other CTI stars with strings and horn sections, Sebesky often presents subtle arrangements that offer keen respect for ...
Various Artists: Legends of Acid Jazz: Hammond Heroes
by Douglas Payne
Legends of Acid Jazz-Hammond Heroes offers few advantages more than a gathering of solid soul-jazz tunes. It is, however, a decent (if not essential) collection of “Hammond heroes." But nearly every track here actually pre-dates what has come to be considered “acid jazz." If Prestige were to tap the Hammond heroes of its acid jazz period, ...
