Friday, July 17, 2009

Old News Borrowed Blues, Warren Smith, Engine

Mingus and Sun Ra for the 21st Century with a dollop of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. I swear I just heard Joe Daley slip a chorus or two of Young at Heart in on the suite Free Forms 1-4, on the euphonium no less. Claire Daly, a favorite, has a great baritone sax solo that doesn't sound like anything but what's coming out of her head.

Testimony to the versatility of Cecil Bridgewater that he's on this as part of Smith's Composers Workshop Ensemble big band, but then I have to think he and Smith, both Illinois guys who immigrated to New York (from Champaign and Chicago respectively) and became first-call players in a huge variety of settings have known each other for a long time. All works by Smith, Lock the Toilet door is Monkian modern bop, while Rivers State Suite has an Afrobeat, reggae thing going and One More Lick for Harold Vick gets at the nature of the late, great tenor saxophonist's playing without in any way imitating him. Magnificent.

No comments: