Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Cookers: Time and Time Again

7

The Cookers: Time and Time Again

By

View read count
The Cookers: Time and Time Again
Celebrating seven years together, Time and Time Again is the fourth release by The Cookers since the group's recording debut, Warriors (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2010). The band's all-star lineup, who first rose to prominence in the late '60s and early '70s, was initially formed by trumpet player David Weiss, who also serves as musical director. In addition to Weiss, the septet features the muscular frontline of trumpeter Eddie Henderson, tenor saxophonist Billy Harper and alto saxophonist Donald Harrison (replacing Craig Handy), with pianist George Cables, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart manning the blue chip rhythm section.

Drawing upon their varied experiences, the ensemble members split writing duties, effectively summarizing the entire spectrum of the jazz continuum in the process. Although hard bop-influenced post-bop is the unit's forte, most of these musicians have also worked in cutting-edge avant-garde settings; their forward-looking tendencies imbue the project's straight-ahead sensibility with a bold, modernistic aesthetic.

With five of the seven members contributing tunes to the session, there is ample stylistic diversity on display, ranging from breakneck swingers ("Double or Nothing") and swaggering blues ("Slippin' and Slidin'") to majestic waltzes ("Three Fall") and opulent ballads ("Farewell Mulgrew"). As seasoned veterans, their spirited performances convey the informality of an old school blowing session, tempered by an awareness of formalized song-craft. The arrangements are rhythmically tight and harmonically sophisticated, but supple enough to demonstrate the band's freewheeling rapport, with ample room for each member to shine.

Working as a true collective, no one player dominates the session, although Harper's commanding tone and assured phrasing lifts the bandstand when he takes center stage, with quicksilver cadences underscored by the nimble rhythm section, whose fluid interplay is a marvel of triadic interaction. Lending credence to its title, Time And Time Again expertly conveys the palpable commitment of these elder statesmen to push beyond preconceived boundaries and move the music forward, while acknowledging the innovations of the past.

Track Listing

Sir Galahad; Reneda; Slippin' And Slidin'; Double Or Nothing; Farewell Mulgrew; Three Fall; Time And Time Again; Dance Of The Invisible Nymph; Dance Eternal Spirits Dance.

Personnel

The Cookers
band / ensemble / orchestra

Billy Harper: tenor saxophone; Eddie Henderson: trumpet; David Weiss: trumpet; Donald Harrison: alto saxophone; George Cables: piano; Cecil McBee: bass; Billy Hart: drums.

Album information

Title: Time And Time Again | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Motema Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



The Cookers Concerts


Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante
All In Motion
Dave Redmond
Cat & The Hounds
Colin Hancock's Jazz Hounds Featuring Catherine...

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.