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Geri Allen: Timeless Portraits and Dreams

By AAJ Italy Staff
October 31, 2006
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Geri Allen: Timeless Portraits and Dreams

Eleganza e raffinatezza sono le parole d’ordine di questo Timeless Portraits and Dreams, ultima fatica discografica di Geri Allen in trio (e che trio, Ron Carter al contrabbasso e Jimmy Cobb alla batteria!). Per la verità durante l’ora abbondante di musica, compresi i quattro minuti di un bonus disc?!, al trio della pianista di Pontiac si aggiungono di volta in volta il sax tenore di Donald Walden, la voce di Carmen Lundy, la tromba di Wallace Roney e l’Atlanta Jazz Chorus. Ma le coordinate dell’incisione non si spostano di un grado, eleganza e raffinatezza per l’appunto.

Lontana dagli esordi sperimentali con il collettivo M-Base di Steve Coleman ma anche dal supertrio in bilico tra rigore e libertà con Charlie Haden e Paul Haden, Allen si immerge in una sorta di sobria classicità. Tra il Nino Rota di “La strada“ e il Gershwin di “Embraceable You“ non disdegnando la tradizione di “Oh Freedom“ e la rivendicazione di “I Have a Dream“ e “Lift Every Voice and Sing“, la pianista traccia un sentiero fatto di belle melodie, dolcezze timbriche, delicate tessiture armoniche, afflati spirituali e inni gospelizzanti.

Tranne che in “In Real Time“ e la parkeriana “Ah-Leu-Cha“ quando spinge sull’acceleratore della tastiera e Roney si dimostra il grande trombettista che è.

Per il resto, eleganza e raffinatezza per l’appunto, e... un pizzico di noia.

Track Listing

Oh Freedom; Melchezedik; Portraits and Dreams; Well Done; La Strada; I Have a Dream; Nearly; In Real Time; Embraceable You; Ah-Leu-Cha; Just for a Thrill; Our Lady (for Billie Holiday); Timeless Portraits and Dreams; Portraits and Dreams (reprise)

Personnel

Geri Allen

piano

Geri Allen, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums; Carmen Lundy, vocals; Wallace Roney, trumpet; George Shirley, vocals; Donald Walden, tenor saxophone; Atlanta Jazz Chorus, directed by Dwight Andrews.

Album information

Title: Timeless Portraits And Dreams | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Telarc Records

About Geri Allen

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