Players - Downbeat

“Collective Creativity Suite,” occupying tracks
three through 11. As with most jazz “suites,”
the parts are best considered on their individual
merits and not as a whole, since they don’t easily,
or necessarily intentionally, coalesce.
“Diaspora” begins the work with an imposing
thunder, then retreats for lively solos by
Ed Wilkerson and Ari Brown, essentially setting
up the primary format: soloist and rhythm
section flanked between philharmonic-sized
bookends, but with relatively little interaction
between improviser and composer. There are
exceptions. We get three short versions of
“Creation Of Evolution,” for instance, each
little more than meditative moans or flute flutterings.
They seem to signal intermissions
from the main work, not signposts toward its
development.
After a percussive, somewhat inflated start,
“One Thousand Questions” clicks into a cartoonish
but charmingly staccato, two-beat
interplay among Davis, Brown and Nicole
Mitchell before each solos at greater length.
The full orchestra reenters in proper spirit for a
jaunty climax. It’s the most energetic and
appealing chapter of the suite.
“Seraphim” showcases Mitchell and pianist
Ryan Cohan in their solos, during which the
orchestra is mostly silent or offers sweetening
backgrounds. Finally, the two-part “An
Afternoon With Mr. Bowie” offers terse variations
on another famous suite, Igor Stravinsky’s
“The Firebird.” Brown solos first on a
romantic variation of the lullaby section in
which Davis’ strings swell in emotional
Gorden Jenkins-like eruptions. Davis takes the
solo role next in a leaner medium slow jazz
groove that shows what a first-class player he
remains at heart. —John McDonough
Collective Creativity: Fanfare For Cloud Gate; West End
Blues/Weatherbird; Diaspora; The Creation Of Evolution (Part 1);
One Thousand Questions, Once Answer; The Creation Of
Evolution (Part 2); Seraphim; And Afternoon With Mr. Bowie
(Parts 1–3); Vice Versa; Going To Chicago. (52:06)
»
late ’60s mixed with Miles Davis’ “Nardis”).
The title track seems a tip of the hat to McCoy
Tyner, and indeed the band attacks it like a super
trio. “Gratitude” is airy and innocent, with more
than a little Vince Guaraldi wafting by.
Such stylistic singularity is what makes the
program so engaging. If some of the tracks seem
overly designed, they also seem wonderfully
distinctive. Ultimately, Reed’s got skills at making
odd subtleties feel incontestably natural by
layering his performance with an old-fashioned
tool: daunting authority. —Jim Macnie
Stand!: Stand; Pursuit Of Peace; Prayer; Git’cha Shout On;
Gratitude; You Are There; New Morning; Adoracao; Like A Thief In
The Night; A Love Divine; Everything That Has Breath. (50:08)
Personnel: Eric Reed, piano; Rodney Whitaker, bass; Willie
Jones III, drums.
»
Ordering info: chijazzphil.org
Ordering info: ericreed.net
CDs CRITICS»
»
Jeff “Tain” Watts
Watts
Gary Smulyan
High Noon: The Jazz Soul Of Frankie Laine
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic
Collective Creativity
Eric Reed
Stand!
Critics’ Comments
Jeff “Tain” Watts, Watts
Let’s just deem it the supergroup that it is and revel in the physicality of all these hard-hitting blues and bentbop
tunes. The drummer keeps the pieces simple, and the band plays the living crap out of them. That’s a
concept that likely won’t disappear anytime soon. It would be hard to underestimate the chops of Christian
McBride. —Jim Macnie
Watts’ tubs speak, like Max Roach’s did. Not just notes and musical ideas, but politics and social language,
connected to grass roots, like Charles Mingus (his inspiration here). Not sure how well the topical dig at
George Bush will wear, and Branford Marsalis seems to be digging himself a hole lately, but this is hardcore,
no-bull stuff. Terence Blanchard is on fire. —Paul de Barros
Watts’ tunes may not be much, but his playing galvanizes this quartet to kick up one torrential storm.
Blanchard hasn’t sounded this unzipped since his Art Blakey days, and Marsalis is in fervent form. McBride
keeps this runaway train on track until it runs out of steam. —John McDonough
Gary Smulyan, High Noon: The Jazz Soul Of Frankie Laine
A light and low-key, but generally superb salute to Laine in name only that freely transforms his catalog to its
own purposes; e.g. “High Noon” is refitted from a ticking time bomb to a slow blues. Smulyan synthesizes
everything best about bari from Harry Carney through Pepper Adams, and Mark Masters’ West Coast-ish
charts form a elegant organizing axis. Outstanding. —John McDonough
This is a somewhat dry, thoughtfully produced project born of a slightly eccentric concept, approached with
Masters orchestrating the (mostly) obscure repertoire in a manner recalling ’50s West Coast songbook
records. The leader contributes plenty of his superb, buttery, no-frills baritone. —John Corbett
This fun date that belongs just as much to arranger Masters as it does the section players and soloists of the
bari player’s tribe. There’s no glitz to the arrangements; the performances have the feel of embellishments
rather than complete overhauls. The brass sound particularly impressive. —Jim Macnie
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Collective Creativity
Orbert Davis is an integrator. He brings worlds together—in this case big band, classical (à lá Darius Milhaud
and Igor Stravinsky), straightahead and non-mainstream jazz. Collective Creativity is hugely ambitious, as
anything requiring a 50-plus orchestra must be, and successful on its own terms. The trumpeter arranges for
his orchestra with a slick, brassy hand that’s not always so in sync with the AACM folks he celebrates,
though when it kicks into “Vice Versa,” it’s a joyous syncretic jazz symphony. —John Corbett
It’s all in the performance. The wealth of strings that bolsters the jazz band’s antics is precise in execution,
and the material comes alive because the ensemble’s bold manner carries the day. The writing itself is
intriguing on a level or two as well. Even the noirish spin on Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” finds itself a groove
to settle into. —Jim Macnie
Bob Graettinger meets Sun Ra in a pompous mix of grandiosity and naiveté. You want to like these guys for
taking on the big concepts, but the swirling primal ooze metaphors—to take one example—are too obvious
and clichéd. Some great reeds solos, though. —Paul de Barros
Eric Reed, Stand!
The HOT Box
John John Jim Paul
McDonough Corbett Macnie de Barros
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Reed’s crisp technical prowess has never moved me, but he is maturing. No longer bombastic, he sounds
firm, confident and restrained, with gravitas and deep spiritual feeling, not just “gospel” gestures. An often
moving drive toward the light. —Paul de Barros
Reed’s a man of big hands and ideas who speaks in chords the size of boulders, so there is a mass to this
trio that may sometimes leave you gasping for air. Even lyrical pieces (“New Morning”) swell into mountains.
But Reed moves his mountains with a confident ease and power that wins the day, though two incomplete
tracks sound a bit sloppy. —John McDonough
Sharp, hip piano trio with none of the untoward trappings the format can foster. When they sprint (“Git’cha
Shout On”) they’re lithe, when they meditate (“New Morning”) Reed’s hymnal roots show. Reed’s love of
big chords and emotionally layered harmonies steers clear of the lachrymose. —John Corbett
April 2009 DOWNBEAT 63