. E k' I G'tler Alan Heineman, Wayne Jones, Lawrence Kart, John Records are reviewed by Chris Albertson, Don DeMicheal Gilbert M. rs ine, ra 1 ' • d p . ' . N I H rvey Pekar Harvey Siders, Carol S 1oane, an ete Weld mg. Litweiler, John McDonough, Dan Morgenstern, Irvin Moskowitz, Don e sen, a , • Reviews are signed by the writers. * * * f . * Ratings are: * * * * * excellent, * * * * very good, * * good, . arr, poor. When two catalog numbers are listed, the first is mono, and the sec_ond is stereo. Bobby Bryant which has continued to influence popular Rig and Panic ( one of his best) and Here THE JAZZ EXCURSION INTO HAIR-World music to this day. , Comes The Whistleman. Both men are Pacific Jazz ST-20159: Be-In (Hare Krishna); highly caloric musical personalities, both I Got Life; Let the S11nshine In; Hair; Good I think anyone who listens to Burton s Morning Starshine; Aq11aritls; Where Do I Go? performances of Mike Gibbs' Tum of the are eclectics in the best sense, at home Colored Spade. with all the accents of the jazz language, Persopnel: Bryant, trumpet, fiuegelhorn; Buddy Centurv and Throb or Steve Swallow's Childers, Paul Hubinon, Reunald Jones, Freddy Chicke;zs, Arise, Her Eyes, and Doin the and both have humor. Hill, Bill Peterson, trumpets; Bob Brockmeyer, Pig alongside, for example, Willie Tpe The result is mutual inspiration, and Charles Loper, trombones; Mike Wimberly, bass trombone; Bud Shank, flute, Ernie Watts, tenor Lion Smith's Passionette, Rippling Waters, when the backfield is as potent and com­ saxophone; Joe Sample, piano; Freddie Robinson, patible a team as Davis and Dawson, guitar, Wilton Felder, bass; Paul Humphrey, and Fading Star (all on a Mainstream LP) drums. will hear the kinship. The qualities of rag­ sparks are bound to fly. Rating:** time-melodious charm, formal elegance, And they do. Parisian is a 10-minute The musical Hair contains some good decorative improvisation, and frequently tone-poem which for sheer energy and compositions, but the treatment of them programmatic or impressionistic aims-are excitement leaves most psychedelicacies at here is unimpressive. Shorty Rogers, who quite prominent throughout the Burton set. the starting gate. Kirk's tenor solo is one wrote the arrangements for the album, Turn is a charming genre piece that of the best he's put on wax, and Byard's did some fine writing for the Woody conveys the gentle complacency of a 1900 spot is no anticlimax. The finale should Herman and Stan Kenton big bands and small-town musicale, disturbs it momen­ blow even the most blase mind, as Kirk for his own groups (among his sidemen tarily with a more assertive bridge (the unleashes his entire arsenal. The rhythm were such praiseworthy performers as Art troubles to come?), and returns to the section sustains the hair-raising tempo Pepper and Hampton Hawes) back in the original mood. Throb is a similarly effec­ from start to finish. '50s. The creatively stultifying environ­ tive piece of impressionism, as is Swal!ow's Evidence is another lusty, surging ride, ment of the Los Angeles area, where he Arise. The other Swallow pieces have a with Byard at his most extroverted while has been based for so long, eventually country hoedown flavor, and Chickens Kirk ( on tenor all the way) digs into affected him, however, and he started contains a delightful solo by the composer Monk's entrails. Don't miss Dawson in the turning out trivial music. (sort of a Foggy Mountain Breakdown for last chorus-he's like a third melodic voice, His arranging here is technically com­ electric bass). but the beat stays there. petent but lacks the individuality of his Guitarist Hahn, who has since left the Eubie Blake's beautiful Memories is earlier work. In fact, it has an anonymous group, and violinist Greene, who began his presented in an unusual tenor-piano duet. quality. Influenced by modern r&b, he career with Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Kirk tips his cap to Don Byas, and his seems interested mainly in having the Boys, are quite effective in context, and I internal swing more than makes up for band play forcefully; e.g., there is a lot think Burton might well add Greene or a the missing rhythm section. Byard's solo of loud brass playing. similar violinist as a permanent member. opens in his best Tatum manner, becomes Bryant is the featured soloist. He has About the group as a whole i have two all Jaki, and evokes Tatum once again­ good technique, fine range, plays with reservations. First, there are Burton's solos. and that's somebody to evoke. On Teach considerable power, and therefore is prob­ As implied above, this music requires little Me, which makes reference to the then ably a valuable man to have in a studio more than spirited, appropriate decoration band. However, his solo work is very ongoing New York City teachers' strike, from the soloists-a task which Hahn, Byard affectionately salutes another giant, derivative. He seems content to play solos Greene, and Swallow fulfill. But Burton, loaded with stock ideas which listeners Erroll Garner, who made this tune his technically skilled as he is, seems to me own. not too familiar with good modern jazz a cool, indifferent improviser. The only In contrast, Hazy Eve, a piano-bass may think are very hip. His playing is also emotion I get from his playing here is track, is gently romantic and reflective. raucously tasteless at times. geniality, and too often even this is gone, There are solos by other members of leaving only "mallet wizardry". Byard's full-bodied sound is complemented by Davis' rich, dark tone. Shine on Me the band too, but none of them particularly My o!her reservation is about the group's impressive. concept10n. I suppose Burton doesn't claim features Kirk on clarinet as well as tenor, Some pop and pop-jazz fans might like comparison with jazz' heavyweights but and gets a Gospel groove. The clarinet is this album but I would not recommend his popularity invites it, and by 'those redolent of New Orl·eans, and Byard also it to jazz fans who value imaginativeness standards his music is light .entertainment. goes way back home. in music. -Pekar Burton's fans can be assured that this A first-rate session, recommended to all album is as good or better than most of who like their music warm and from the inside. -Morgenstern Gary Burton his previous sets, and curmudgeons like THROB-Atlantic SD 1531: lfe1111iger Flats; myself can admire its pleasant skill or Turn of the Century; Chickens; Arise, Her Ei·es; press on to more urgent musical mat­ Prime Time; Throb; Doill the Pig; Triple Por­ Miles Davis trait,· Some Echoes. ters. -Kart IN A SILENT WAY-Columbia CS 9875: Personnel: Richard Greene, violin; Burton, Skb!Peaceful; In a Silent Way/It's Abo11t That vibraharp, electric piano; Jerry Hahn. guitar; T1111e, Steve Swallow, electric bass; Bill Goodwin. drums. Jaki Byard Personnel: Davis, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, 1 Rating: * * * /z THE .TAKI ~YARD EXPERIENCE-Prestige sopra_no saxophone; John McLaughlin. guitar; A pianist friend who is a skilled per­ PR 7615: Par1S1a11Thorougbfare• Haz E Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, electric piano; Sbine 01! Me; Ei'idence; Memories ~f y '. T vel: Toe Zawinul, electric piano, organ; Dave Hol· former of both jazz and ragtime has an ,\fr To111s.b1. 011, eac'J land, bass; Tony Williams, drums. interesting theory about the two musics. Personnel: Roland Kirk. clarinet t n~onc: manz~Ilo. whistle, kirkbam; By:;d°r;:~~: Rating: * * * ½ Many jazz historians seem to regard rag­ R_teh;'!d Davis, bass: Alan Dawson. drum;. 'Track With the ·exception of Miles Smiles and ~ • J:-rrk and Byard only; track . B, d d time as merely a tributary to the jazz Davis only. 3· }ar an Miles in the Sky, recent years have seen mainstream which dried up soon after its Rating:***** Miles Davis playing one kind of music contribution had been made, but he feels The Byard-Kirk combination, a natural on record and another kind in person. that ragtime was a largely separate entity has been heard before. on Roland's Rip'. The majority of his recordings have been concerned with musical color and en- 20 0 DOWN BEAT .