Morgenstern, Dan. [Record Review: Paul Desmond: Summertime] Down

the most part routine. ..,; cal in effect, but the method was pretty There are two_ ~eally fine arrangements: ·. much one of intuitively combining already Games and Pattm, the latter a blues that ,_: existing things). • changes keys about 407 times, which tends ·1· In such an environment, talented musi to keep your ears open, then settles in to cians like Bradford and Carter could em provide Curtis with the kind of earthy Jazz ulate their idols (Fats Navarro and James background in which he is at his best. Moody, I would guess) and, as they ma Some of the other charts, however, dis BY tured, extend their initial inspirations into play an abysmal lack of taste. Somewhere novel areas. And feedback enters once (which it takes guts to perform as a again when Carter and Bradford were saxophone solo anyway, given Cannon MPS·SABAinfluenced in the '60s by Coleman's fully ball's definitive treatment of it) is set to developed music. for collectors & The result is that this group sounds an annoying ricky-tick rhythm which connoisseurs . • quite fresh and new; not because they are vitiates the tune's lyricism. Hold Me Tight from Germany, using new musical materials, but because, is real cutesie. And where Arif Mardin "the Jazz musician's like Coleman, they legitimately tap jazz came up with the brilliant idea of routin paradise!" roots and bring forth new relations between ing Jude as a Latin number is a real familiar things. puzzle. You can hear this in Bradford, espe In general, the album is good clean fun. cially. His melodies are nowhere near as No real reason to criticize it; no real radical in design as Dizzy Gillespie's or reason to buy it. Roy Eldridge's, and, in fact, he has a -Heineman taste for melodic symmetry that is remi niscent of Buck Clayton. But, given a Paul Desmond SUMMERTIME-A&M SP 3015: Samba (Strut relatively free harmonic foundation, he tin') With So111e Barbecue; Olividar; Ob-la-di strings together his melodies in a continu Oblada; E111ily;S0111eday My Prince Will Come'· Aut1111111Leaves; )Vhere Is Love?; Lady ;,, Ce'. ous skein, without the need to return to 111ent;North by Northeast; S11111111erti111e. home base. Collective Personnel: Joe Shepley, Burt Col One of Bradford's notable · qualities, _lins, Marvin Stamm, Joe Eckert, trumpet, fluegel• horn; U~bie _Gr~en, Wayne Andre, J. J. John shared by Don Cherry, is the sense of son, Kai Winding, Paul Falise, Bill Watrous forward movement his music conveys-at tr~mbone; Ray Alonge, Jimmy Buffington, Ton; Miranda, French horn; J:?esIJ?ond, alto saxophone; up tempo he gobbles up time like a hun G_eorge Marge, Bob Tricario, woodwinds; Her gry puppy. He is consistently inspired bie Hancock, piano; Joe Beck, Jay Berliner here, and his solos on Call, Second Set, Eumir Deodato, Bucky Pizarelli, guitar; Ro~ Carter, Frank Bruno, bass; Joe Venuto marimba· MARK MURPHY and Domino (where he elaborates a frag Midnight Mood SB 15151 ST Mike Mainieri, vibes; Leo Morris. Air(o Moreia' ment from Raincheck which is imbedded drums; Jack Jennings, percussion; Don Sebesky: in Carter's theme) are delightfully straight arranger, forward, optimistic improvisations. Rating: * * * * Desmond's first recorded outing since Carter is a less satisfying soloist-at up tempo his melodic flow frequently dries leaving Brubeck was worth waiting for. up and he worrys a motif to no particu During his long tenure with the pianist, lar end. I think he might be more comfort Desmond often recorded on bis own, but able playing on changes. Still, his melodies rarely have his talents been more tellingly are individual, and, like all members of displayed. this group, his is an honest music-free The personnel listed above looks gi from the affected hysteria which sometimes gantic, but represents six different sessions· plagues the avant garde. in fact, Don Sebesky's scoring is discrete: Williamson is a refreshing bassist who and for long stretches, Desmond is backed plays a strong supportive role rather than by rhythm only, often in a bossa nova running all over his instrument. He takes groove. !he primary rhythmic responsibility, boom Varied and often interesting material, a mg out deep counterlines and pedal points. recording quality that beautifully captures THE DAVE PIKE SET F~eeman, staying mostly on cymbals, sup and projects the altoist's sound, and the Noisy Silence-Gentle Noise MPS 15215 ST phes color and the needed rhythmic edge. sympathetic backing he receives-from The Carter-Bradford Quartet is a group Hancock, Carter and Beck in particular of mature men making satisfying non help carry the album, but it is Desmond's I ::J-1 • f~ddist music. They deserve your' atten consistent excellence that holds it up. tion. -Kart Much of the critical praise Desmond has -----' - received was given in the manner of a bac~handed compliment; the ploy was to King Curtis praise Desmond at Brubeck's expense. This . INSTANT GROpVE - Atco 33·293: fosta, wa~ unfair to both. Desmond wasn't just C~1001·e,· Hey Joe: 1-oot P,111i11,·lFichita Linema,:~ mamly responsible for the musical in fj-51"!'s PLeop/e Pl<1_r;Sing ,, Si111f,/e Song• Tb~ e,g 1,t; • ]e,11111e;Lillie Gree11 A/i/iles· 'so terest the famous quartet held for anti 11·bae: Hold Me T_igbt; Hey Jude. ' Ille• Brubeckians. He was and is a very per Pt·rsonncl: Curtis, soprano alto and sa~oph<~nl'S, guitar; Duane All~1an guitar· ttehnor sonal player of great sensitivity and unH.lcnuficd. • , o ers musicality, with a rare sense of form and Rating:**½ structure, and a real melodic gift. ...... Some moments of very nice Jistenino Desmond is too honest a player to be Won't blow your head off, or make y "'' tempted by the relatively "commercial" BARNEYWILEN FREE ROCK BAND want to da~c.e, unless you're already in t~~ s~ttmg he receives here. Some might con Dear Prof. Leary MPS 15191 ST mood, but 1t s fun to listen to. side_r his lyricism soft, but it isn't; though Cur!is is an uneven soloist. He d ?e 1s a gentle musician, his work has the so~1e mter_esting things with tenor on /:£:~~nner strength that marks the genuine Ask your dealer• or write Jo_£and with soprano on La Jeanne, exce .t Jazzman. His distinctive sound has mel for FREE brochures. th.it on the latter, which demands "t 1 pt · b , I • .. eas lowed. and ripened, as has his conception, 1 MPS - SABA - USA .i, O~\ t~- tic ush nature of the original, and his playing here has a firmness and h1.:rdus_<.:s to hold a note without bcndin" Sureness that mark a new-found maturity. 724 N. 7th St. Allentown, Penna. I 81 02 or slurring. The rest of the solos are fo~ My favorite tracks are Lol'e and Emily 18 □ DOWN BEAT for ballad beauty; the Beatles' Ob-la-di about these performances, but given the for humor and swmg (an apt quote from sometimes muddled results, one wonders Hey Jude and a fleeting glimpse of Pete .jf a soloist, even of Steig's great talent can Brown are added attractions); North for ~ mea~ingfully grafted onto such a gem blues feeling (it ends with Audrey, an like entity as the Evans trio. True, every other Desmond original), and, best of all, one solos well within the context of the Barbecue. The Armstrong classic is ideally instrumentation and literature, but the ac suited for bossa nova treatment, and the companiment for Steig sometimes gets out Jovely and still fresh melody gives Des- of hand and reaches up and over the mond something to pla~ on. flutist to such a point that it is difficult to "Louis Armstrong might have to listen tell just who is soloing. This unfortunate twice to recognize (his t:une), which he phenomenon is especially disconcerting on wrote way back in 1941," says the liner the title tune and Spartacus: Evans seems 1 note. It was way, way back in 1927, unable to resist accompanying Steig with chum, the tune is credited t~ Lil Arm single lines played in the same octave in strong, and Pops would know 1t after two which Steig is playing. This also seems to measures. And like it for Desmond's affect the flutist, who plays with more co graceful melodic flow. He might also enjoy hesion and fire when Evans lays out or \ the way Hancock picks up on Desmond's confines himself to chord punctuations, as James Moody prefers Jast solo phrase and builds his statement on So What? from it. When the musicians aren't fighting each the American Today Barbecue is easy to like. In fact, so's the other, however, they play some fine music. entire album. Good music often is. Evans is in excellent form, soloing vig Sound ... King Super -Morgenstern orously with that clear sense of develop 20 Saxohones ... a cool ment that makes his music such a joy to Lou Donaldson behold. Of exceptional quality are his im sound with centered SAY IT LOUD !-Blue Note BST 84299: Say /t Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud; Sum111erti111e; provisations on Straight (including an un Caravan; Snake Bone;_ Brother Soul. accompanied two choruses of single-note projection that pro Personnel: Blue M1tchell, trump~t; Lou Don aldson, Varitone alto saxophone; Jimmy Pond~r, construction that leap like grasshoppers at guitar; Charles Earland, organ; Leo Morns, the listener) Leaves, So What?, and his vides the modern tonal drums. marvelously musical introduction to What's quality made famous Rating:** New? Steig is best on Straight, Lol'er Man While I subscribe heartily to the senti (in which he overcomes Evans' accom by Adderley, Moody, ments expressed by Donaldson and freres paniment), and So What? When he's right, on the title tune, I cannot work up the his work displays an irresistible passion Lawrence and Lateef .

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