Avery, pianist Anthony Wonsey, bassist Corcoran Holt, and drummer Willie Jones III.
This set is split into two, utilizing two different rhythm sections. Rather than closely copying Monk’s top saxophonists (which included Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Johnny Griffin, and Charlie Rouse), Avery plays in his individual sound and style, creating his own powerful sheets of sound solos on the uptempo pieces. Harlem Stories: The Music Of Thelonious MonkĪ powerful tenor-saxophonist who had recently recorded a tribute to John Coltrane, Teodross Avery tackles the music of Thelonious Monk on Harlem Stories. If you enjoy swinging bebop, Natural Lines is one to get. I wish that the liner notes identified who solos when but the guitarists’ playing is consistently at the highest level.Īmong the highlights are “Sonny’s Side” (a cooker utilizing rhythm changes), Broadbent’s light Latin-tinged “Quiet Is The Star” (featuring the leader on alto flute), and Sills’ original “Outside Corner,” but all dozen selections are quite enjoyable. But Mike Scott and Larry Koonse have nothing to prove and, since they have similar lyrical styles and quiet sounds, the combination works quite well. Sometimes when two guitarists are teamed together in a band, there is a competitive rather than cooperative spirit as they try to top each other. The mellow-toned tenor sometimes sounds like a classic West Coast jazz saxophonist of the 1950s, creating sophisticated solos that, due to his thoughtful approach and attractive sound, are quite accessible. Sills’ 17th album features him playing a variety of originals (some utilizing the chord changes of standards including “Mellow Stone,” an uptempo “Foggy Daze” and “Jones’ Tones” which is “Have You Met Miss Jones”), “Lover Man,” and a song apieceįrom Koonse, Alan Broadbent, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans. He liked the way that the combination sounded so on Natural Lines he is joined by both Larry Koonse and Mike Scott on guitars along with bassist Blake White and drummer Tim Pleasant. Tenor-saxophonist David Sills began using two guitarists in his quintet when he found that some clubs did not have a piano. Stafford takes a couple of spectacular solos, Patton is in top form, and each of the originals (the swinging “Marionette” is the only one from the altoist’s past) inspires inventive playing.Īs both an altoist and a composer, Charles McPherson is featured at the top of his game throughout Jazz Dance Suites which is available from I would love someday to see how dancers interpret this music. The remainder of this CD is taken up by the six-part “Sweet Synergy Suite.” While a bit more conventional than “Song Of Songs” and in the hard bop vein, the quintet (which has trumpeter Terell Stafford in place of Silberstein) really digs into the pieces. McPherson is featured on “Reflections On An Election,” a moody and slightly unsettling ballad that was composed after the 2016 election. Lorraine Castellanos takes vocals on “Love Dance” and “Praise” (the latter is a charming duet with guitarist Yotam Silberstein), McPherson plays beautifully on his showcase “Heart’s Desire,” and there is also a happy samba (“Wedding Song”), a haunting ballad (“Hear My Plea”), the joyful “Thinking Of You,” an impressive feature for guest pianist Randy Porter (“After The Dance”), and the catchy “The Gospel Truth.” This 29-minute suite has McPherson and Silberstein joined by pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong, and drummer Billy Drummond with every musician making strong contributions throughout the eventful suite. The eight-part “Song Of Songs” is inspired by some stories from the Old Testament and sometimes has a strong hint of Middle Eastern music. While one misses the dancers, the music easily stands by itself. Her father began writing works for the SD Ballet in 2015 including the three pieces that comprise Jazz Dance Suites. McPherson’s daughter Camille (for whom all of this music is dedicated) is a soloist with the San Diego Ballet. McPherson has excelled on quite a few projects since then, but this set is a bit different than the others in its origin. Very much in his prime, McPherson has retained his distinctive tone and Charlie Parker-inspired style from the 1960s when he became well-known for his association with Charles Mingus. Altoist Charles McPherson was 80 when this recording was made in 2019, but it is impossible to know that from his playing.
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