Frankly, albums consisting of all or mostly ballads tend to be boring. Even the great Coltrane's collection on Impulse has its moments of non-sublimity...just because a lot of jazz has to do with swing, and ballads don't swing unless the musicians demand it. That's why I decided to give veteran saxophonist Joe Lovano's latest CD a chance--because he never fails to bring his big band arrangement credentials along for the ride. Another reason was to hear him play with three exemplary musicians: the eloquent decade-spanning pianist Hank Jones, the flexibly accompanying bassist George Mraz, and the multilingual percussionist Paul Motian. Another important factor was the material. Along with one original (the title cut), Lovano split the album with tunes by jazz greats (including Monk and Coltrane) as well as from Broadway writers. The only way for me to determine if this CD was worth the money was to swallow hard and listen to the umpteenth version of "Stella By Starlight." The result is that kind of "forced swing" and inverted approach to the melody that is part of the essence of real jazz, taking this production away from the sterility of studio jazz and into the kind of jam that special players produce. Once again, Lovano--deftly tightrope-walking his solos up and down the scale--and his friends create top-drawer, singular art that keeps jazz from getting stale. (Note: Lovano and his crew have a new CD, Joyous Encounter, out that seems to be a bit peppier...I'll let you know.)
Similar sounding releases
2003Jeremy PeltClose To My Heart
2002Charles LloydLift Every Voice
2003Keith JarrettUp for It
2003Wynton Marsalis QuartetThe Magic Hour
2002Roy HaynesLove Letters
2004Ken PeplowskiEasy to Remember
