· · Records. are reviewed· by. Chris Albertson, Mike Bourne, Bill Cole, Don DeMicheol, Alon Heinemc:m,Wayne )ones, Larry Kort, John Litweiler, John McDonough, , Don Nelsen, Harvey Pekar, Doug Ramsey, Harvey Siders, Carol Sloane, and Jim Szantar. Reviews are signed by the writers.-

Ratings are:***** excellent,**** very good,*** good,** fair,* poor.

recurMost recordings reviewed are available far purchase through the down beat/RECORD CLUB. (for membership Information see details elsewhere in this issue or write to REVIEVilS down beat/RECORD CLUB, 222 W. Adams, Chicago, IL 60606)

ner. Five standards and five originals-but and world-wide one. He doesn't need my then, even standards become Garner origi­ proselytizing, and preaching to the heathens ELECTRIC BYRD-Blue Note BST 84349: nals in his two strong hands. Who else becomes increasingly frustrating. Still-if Estavanico; Essence; Xibaba; The Dude, you're not hip to Garner, I'm afraid you Personnel: Byrd, trumpet; Bill Campbell, trom· could take, say, Strangers In the Night bone; , , Lew Ta· and make a musical experience of it, or just don't know what is all about. If backin, , reeds; , you are, and you haven't yet grabbed this flute (crack 3 only); , electric be as outrageously romantic as on the title piano; Wally Richardson, guitar; , bass; track and get away with it? album, please do. -Morgenstern , drums; , percus­ Don't underestimate Garner because he sion. enjoys what he does and makes the people Rating: * * * * Donald Byrd has ever been a compell­ enjoy it with him. By today's peculiar standards, an artist who is a popular suc­ IT'S NICE TO BE WITH YOU-MPS 15245: ing musician: always adventuresome and Up, Up and Au-ay,· My Funny Valentine; Young yet never so far out that he might lose a cess is automatically suspect, but those One, for Debra; Blue Joe; It's Nice To Be Witb mass appeal-and this album is no excep­ standards have long been bankrupt. Make You; In a Senti111ental Mood; Romaine. Personnel: Hall, guitar; bass· tion. Textural and free-directional, with no mistake-this is a great artist, one of , drums. ' ' the few jazz giants of our time, and very pithy rhythms and an affective electric Rating:***** utility, a comparison may be drawn to much in his prime. When he gets down to Nobody plays better guitar than Jim Miles but need not be, for Byrd has a care business, watch out-and Garner is always Hall. And just to show you how talent for at least a sensitive control of his en­ taking care of business. will out, this is his second album as a semble where Miles seems to prefer a more Take Spinning Wheel, which a lot of leader-the first came out at least a decade natural and immediate inertia. Yet here other pianists have tackled. Garner's ver­ ago on Pacific Jazz and is out of print, perhaps this element becomes a minor sion has them all covered and even makes and this one is readily available only in drag: the improvisatory ease somewhat the tune palatable again. I don't like For Europe (Prestige, which has rights to it, lessens the energetic propulsion, so that Once In My Life, except when Garner should issue it immediately). Jim Hall, often the playing sounds so relaxed as to does it, and who'd think that anyone could surprisingly, is not a bitter musician. He is find something new to say on Yesterday? be soporific, ultra-soothing rather than beautiful, and so is this album. He does, plenty. And The Look of Love urging attention. Neverthless such charm When music is this good, it is impossible is ultimately pleasant. ' makes a virtue of Bacharach's simplicities. to explain it in words. Oh, it can be ()nl" a v~n, few-, Fats The Byrd trumpet is as always plastic analyzed-written out and studied-but -not as in artificial, but as in the original Waller, -have demon­ that means little. Adjectives mean less­ semantics: pliable, capable of great mo­ strated such gifts for transmutation. what would "tasteful" (and that is not a His own pieces here include two gems tion, and of substance-notably when set synonym for "uninspired," except among amid cool reed reverberations and espe­ of different kinds: Mood Island, as pretty musical illiterates), "surging," "lyrical," cially the percussive constancy of Mor- and haunting a tune as Garner has penned "fragile," "subtle," "straight-ahead," or r~ira. ~fain!~, the thrust of the three Byrd since Misty, and a natural for a good set any other words tell anybody about this p1ec~s 1s delicate and evocative: latinesque of lyrics; and You Turned Me Around music? Nothing. One could talk about musing on Estarnnico, light blues on Es­ almost ~ix minutes of groovy, down horn~ . Hall's use of short phrases (and long ones, i sence, funky cookery on The Dude. But blues with a bridge, in a rich vein Garner for that matter), his chord voicings and Xibaba by Moreira offers not so much hn