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Morgenstern, Dan. [Record Review: Violin Summit] Down Beat 34:16

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Morgenstern, Dan. [Record Review: Violin Summit] Down Beat 34:16 Martinez, Sandra Crouch, percussion. lack surprises, or improvisation 1 Rating:*** amounts to much, and are just tastef Joe Torres wrou_g~t readings that sit well Witi LATlN CON SOUL-World Padfic 1857: Get martm1. 0111 of My 11"ar; Smm.y; Devil 11res; Oba/ ; Nighl,ual.k; Blt1111orRigb y; Soul Cl,11; Yo S11/i; Earri11gs, for example; is as cleanly In ,t Grer1s,• TJag; lA Bruit1 N,g ra. ecuted and symmetrical a performanecei Person nel: G,,ry Baron e or Stcyc Huflstctc .r, crumpet; Bill Ho .ad, rnnor saxophone; Viccor one could ask for. TI1ere is even an int11; Feldman, plnno; M:tx Bcnn ctr, bass; Joe Torres, cation, enforced by past perfor mcln Bobby TouC$, Odaodo Lopez, Matio TholmcJC, that Smith is more at home with classi pcta usion; Ric DcSil va, vocaJs. techniques and feeling than with jazz. : Rating:**½ 11 Both of these discs generate considerable best jazz playing comes on the mcdiu heat and excitement, but this is more tempo Memories, on the fast Clea,: 1) Ill.;. and, in spots, on the bossa nova selccti:' ' endemic to the genre than the result of 111 particularly inventive or interesting work (both Smith and Jones are delightful Girl). Clll within the genre. The music is polyrhyth­ mically vital, and this more than anything If everything on the album were else is responsible for the appeal the LPs interesting as Memories, it would rate a: possess. Otherwise, there's no particular other star. One could wish for a Jitu reason to recommend either of these sets more rhythmic variety at up tempos a e above the numerous other comparably a little more "messin' around" with it. 11d proficient Latin-jazz albums currently avail­ Johnny Smith is an admirable music• able. but this album is generally too stiffly :, They do demonstrate that the idiom is rect and nice to rate more than a "go~ flexible enough to allow some diversity of in the jazz category. - Ha;di approach. The Torres album hews to a looser, more overt jazz orientation than does the Santamaria set, where the em­ Various Artists•------••• phasis is on a tight, disciplined orchestral VIOLIN SUMMIT-Sahm 15099: 8ut1m1i/ So-111 Prn/11/1 Hou.so; Ti,nmo's Bluos; It D011'1 M~ approach of considerable bite and power. a T/1/11g; p , ,,,,; ., Prom 11r,,ve11;011J y Tim, 11'1/1 You pays your money and you takes Tell; Hol Todd .y. Deliciously tough. That's Vox's dciuble your choice. In the Torres set, for ex­ Personn el: · Stuff Smith, , Stephane Grap~Jlj: Svend Asmussen. Jc,an-Luc Ponty, violim: I{~ T-bar stake. Its rigid reinforcement ample, there are any number of deft, ap­ Drew, pfaoo; Niels-Henning Orsted Pede means a straighter, stronger neck. Ad­ propriately swinging solos by tenorist bass; Alex Riehl, drums, Rating:***** justable truss ro!i gives perfect neck Hood, trumpeter Barone ( or Huffsteter on La Bruja and Greasy Bag), and pianist So far, this delightful record is availa alignment.Vox neck guaranteed 5years. Feldman. Offsetting this are several abys~ only in Europe. It was recorded last fall Vox: It's what's happening. mal, wooden vocals by DeSilva. In the in Switzerland at a uniqu~ concert "".lti~ Santamaria album the listener is not of­ brought together four of the greatest pl\o, fered the soloistic variety, but he gains on titioners of the art of jazz violin. the other hand a much more powerful , They are heard in various combinationt. Getthe new cymbal sound from percussive ensemble sound, disciplined from quartet to solo, backed by the wt!). playing, and attractive arrangements. oiled Danish-American house rhythm soo, There is not a great deal for the diehard tion from Copenhagen's Club Montmamtr jazz fan in either of these sets, but both arid while each is a stylist, and the ap PASHA!SUPERSON0C contain groovy jazz-inflected dance or span reaches froin the senior Grap,PCU, partying music. The colors are rich, the (59) to the junior Ponty (25), there is no music highly seasoned, and the rhythms spiritual gap. inexorable yet light. -Welding In fact, the fiddlers four get along Sil famously on the one communal Ltaet (Mean a Thing), that one regrets thatt Johnny Smith wasn'.t more quartet material. The enSOIII' JOHNNY SMITH-Verve 8692: M c,,,oril!J of ble passages have phenomenal swing aDII The sound today's drummers want. Yon ; ltfaJJba De Ct1maval; Htrrs Tl,al Rdl11y Superior Turkish type. Compare with D11y; Ycstnday; Sp,;,,g c,,,, Reall y fla11g You negate once and for all the contention t.hal Up tlu Mosl; The Sha,Jow of- Yo11r S111il6; multiple strings can't be made tci plaJ the ones that cost twice as much. Micbdle; My l'avorit'o l"hings; Goltlc11 B,1rri1111s: See your favorite dealer. O,," Cltt1r D11y Yo11 Can Stt Por,ver; Thal Girl idiomatic jazz.- from Ip,m c111n. Soul, a Ponty original; and Hot Toddr, Pc,csonncl : Smith, amplified , acoustic guicar; TROPHYMUSICAL PRODUCTS Rank Jones, piono; George Du vivicr, bass; Don an Asmussen 'arrangement, are · perfo-. 1278 West 9th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113 Lamond, drums. by a trio, Smith laying out. But Stuff dld Rating:*** with Asmussen on Timme 's Blues, and ~ This is Smith's first recording in several his own tune; Time, to himself. Pemiie.1 ADIFFERENT KINDOF RECORD CLUB years, and from an over-all musical stand­ a solo outing for Grapelly, who joins W1'" point it is one of his best. That is in some Pcinty on Pentup. · _ ; :/: witha SpecialMembership Plan ... .• ti FeaturingJAZZ measure due to the thoughtfully chosen All four violinists are improvisers to tbJ '.• ·-=--::iJ . program as well as to a consistently in­ manner born. Each has his own sound, I •. Also,Popular, Folk, Classical, etc. No purchaseobligations-No list teresting Hank Jones, but the high points Grappelly has the sweetest tone, but bl pricepurchases. Virtually all labels of the album are the leader's . never gets saccharine. Asmussen's Jovel and artists available.Choose from Smith is noted for his highly personal burnished sound is perhaps the finest ~ catalog of over 25,000 albums. chording style (related to the way he the standpoint of the legitimate trad1tk.f Writefor freedet~ils ••• tunes his instrument). And yet, thickly of the instrument (which is not to saY 1 l. ■ I ~I.JLL I\L .... UI\I) (L(;I', textured as his chordal efforts are, and as he in any way lacks jazz color or fcelinf 545 F;fth Ave . Depl.D, New York 17, N. Y. surely as he can fret some real finger­ Smith's attack is the most ferocioll$, busters, Smith is still not a chordally in­ sound the most unorthodox and horn· teresting player. Ponty's articulation is the most pre Down Beat August 24 Issue When he doesn't worry about getting the his sound more dry (but pleasantlY INTERNATIONAL JAZZ CRn:ics "Johnny Smith sound", he can produce and "modern" than his elders'. POLL RESULTS gems such as Yesterday and Earrings. But All four swing, singly and collecfi~ on sale August 1 0 even these are not really jazz gems. They though their conceptions of time d 32 □ DOWN BEAT b Jllan is master of his instrument, to assist THE TEACHER... to encourage THE STUDENT c bl& of unleashing virtuoso passages, lltP8pot one shows off-there is much "_The 'simple' act of starting a tone is not always simple. Far too often there ~tual jnspiratioo ~ere, but no selfish is a lack of understanding concerning the use of the tongue in starting or s cleanly,. 11111p;eutiveness . Obviously, the musicians rformance attacking a tone. Since flutists are usually called upon to tongue more rapidly wen an in '°!a wond erful time. than performers on other woodwind instruments, it is essential that proper care Ill!fbe mellowness of the gathering is dis­ be taken to develop a controlled and positi ve tonguing action .'' When asked to ierfonnan dJledon Timme's, with vocal blues banter with class· prepare an essay relating to the flute that would be of interest to beginning, as 1 Smith and Asmussen, spontaneous 1ith ja~. tween well _as_advanced, students, Professor Nelson Hauenstein of the University b!'d amusing, followed by brilliant fiddling. the lllediu 811 of M1ch1gan- noted fluti st, teacher, clinician, and adjudicator, responded by t Clear 1) soul, though als~ happy, is serious authoring a splendid paper entitled "The Flute: Tonguing and Articulation." usic-making. Ponty s tune and arrange­ Several excellent tonguing exercises are featured in the brochure. >va selec~:" Ill pl are both excellent, and he also walks delightful :; with solo honors, though Grappelly As an educaUonalservice, Jdsbis own. · the W. T. Armstrong Com• JtO rup, a fine S?nny Rollins line, dem­ pany is pleased to have r.811 made this brochure avail­ onstrates the ambiance between the two able to music educators­ ~~Tflenam • lo - ,~ocbtnen. Grappelly's harmonic imagi­ al music dealers through­ remf!mber In (luleS oatJon and contemporary conception are out the country , W. T, ARMSTRONG COMPANY ELKHART, IND/ANA • JOYto hear; ~onty, . more ru_igular and Malu!rs of /lule s and piccolos .i,itract.charges mto his solo with a touch otthe composer's phraseology, and builds to a beauti.ful climax before the duo end­ jng, Relaxed and inventive conversation, this, Gi:appeUy'sPennies shows that in keep- i118fresh, he has not forgotten his inspira­ -S11mmi1So-' • ,, D011'1 ·M~ doDJLouis ~strong. His lines sing. He ,,,,,..'.n m,, i,j ' js also exqms1te on Toddy, which has lflendid trio passages. Ralph Flanagan 1nc Gra/!PtU,, violins: t<ieajl t#lef bad it so good.
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