Skipper and Crew

Reviews:

"O, What a Beautiful Morning!" - Henry Franklin

From Cadence April - May - June, 2009

Herewith two releases, two groups that show the influence of John Coltrane and his various incarnations. Trane will has been gone for more than 41 years, yet his presence still remains, of course. More so than, say, Lester Young in the year 2000, the equivalent time frame. Trane went out like a light that was just finding new luminescence, Lester's last years were not the same, although some great music was produced in his final period. In many ways the possibilities of Lester's music were realized pretty fully and the extensions on it were quite absorbed into the general Jazz vocabulary by the first days of the millennium. In the future, who knows? But the post-Trane players today are still POST-TRANE, for the most part. Post-Lester players were so "post" in 2000 that Lester himself was an important part of the aural DNA but not front and center there as a musical personality and influence.

Firmly in the Post-Trane fold, Bassist Henry Franklin's unit with Azar Lawrence came out with a very good recording recently (Cadence 8/07). The current release (1) follows up. The band is more or less the same, with the addition of drummer Tony Austin. Azar Lawrence is back, doing his Trane-tracked best after years of semi-obscurity. Pianist Theo Saunders again fits admirably into the format with a well-tempered approach to post Trane piano. The title cut "O, What a Beautiful Morning"Ñgiven the "My Favorite Things" approachÑhas a great sounding Azar on soprano. He really knocks out the Trane sound and intensity with his personal take on it. Saunders too extends the McCoy approach to this groove. The Afro-Latin "McCoy" gives Saunders room for some solid piano soloing. Azar on tenor continues his very alive extensions of the master. Finally Austin's drum solo over an ostinato is right up there and in the pocket.

The odd juxtaposition of an archaic boogaloo version of "I Feel Good" and its rapid transition to a swinging "Stolen Moments" comes as a shock but a not unpleasant one. Azar and Henry get a chance to solo over the Swing changes and they sound fine.

A limber and heated, richly lyrically toned Azar on soprano vivifies the Bossa "From the Point of Love." Then there's a sensitive reading of "Soultrane" and a warm version of the standard "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You." Azar's tenor is toastingly hard, virile yet sweet. A really beautiful set. This follow-up disk is every bit as good as the first.

Where Franklin's band works out of the middle-late Trane period and creates anew within that, tenor Todd Herbert (2) takes the middle, sheets of sound Trane style period as a jumping off point. And where Franklin and his ensemble are mainly veterans, witnesses, participants and masters of the many sessions that led to what they play today, Herbert and crew are somewhat younger and on an earlier part of that journey. Herbert has around 15 years experience as a professional Jazzer, having played with Earland, Harrell, etc. So at least that's true of Herbert himself. This is his second release, from what I can tell. It's a good effort overall, but Herbert seems plagued by intonation difficulties and a rather dull tone, frankly.

The opener is the swinging "Look into the Abyss." Herbert is on it for this more or less modal thing. Piano gives out with Tyneresque comping and then a solo in the idiom. This could have been recorded in 1960 or so. The following "Maharishi" gives us a Bossa thing with a striving outward. Herbert gets a sophisticated solo going with a modal base. Then there's "I'm Down," a mid-slow Blues in a reminiscent Trane bag. Herbert's solo has that sound and note choice, but dull tone and intonation tarnish the performance. He builds his solo with some sheets of soundÑnot as good (fleet) as Trane, however. "The Tree of Life" provides another Tranish flavor on what could be an old Prestige trackÑonly it isn't.

It is a shame if this session is a product of Herbert on a less than stellar day. I have nothing to compare it with, so will not elaborate further. Good try.

Grego Applegate Edwards

Copyright 2009, Cadence Magazine - ph: 315-287-2852

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