|
Donald Bailey, Blueprints of Jazz Vol 3 (2009. Talking House Records) |
|
|
|
Written by Don Berryman
|
|
Monday, 23 November 2009 |
 This CD represents a triumph musically and also a personal triumph. For over a decade Donald Bailey has been suffering from extreme back pain, for which he's undergone several operations, periodic asthma attacks, and he's suffered a series of seizures that caused both long- and short-term memory loss. It is reported that he left a hospital bed to make this recording. His memory is returning and this album marks a turnng point.
For this project, Bailey chose to work with fellow Philadelphians Odean Pope on tenor saxophone, Tyrone Brown on bass, and George Burton on piano. Trumpeter Charles Tolliver also appears on two tracks. The music resembles the Coltrane classic quartet with Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner more than Bailey's Jimmy Smith hard-bop and soul-jazz days. In the liner notes, Bailey says that he's always been drawn to dissonance and wanted to portray that in this album. To accomplish this vision Odean Pope provides aggressive but soulful post-bop melodies while the young George Burton aptly provides harmony alternating between dense chord clusters and sparse flourishes. Bailey is ever swinging and never shy as he provides the rhythmic spice around the heartbeat of Tyron Brown's bass, always pushing a strong forward momentum. What we end up with is modern and progressive but swinging and accessible jazz that will inspire and surprise jazz fans of all generations.
Donald Bailey's CD is the third in the Blueprints of Jazz series, a series of recordings from Talking House Records that shines the spotlight on some of the lesser known innovators and style-setters in jazz. The first two volumes of the series feature drummer Mike Clark and saxophonist Billy Harper. While their names may not be as well known as some, their musical ideas have helped define the sound of jazz as it has developed over the past 50 years - they are indeed musical architects that have helped lay down the Blueprints of Jazz.
|
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Home | New and Notable | Photo Galleries | CD/DVD/Book Reviews | Interviews | SF Bay Area | Chicago | Los Angeles | New York | Twin Cities, MN | More Cities | Festivals | News | Contact | Follow Jazz Police on Twitter | 
