Cory Weeds • Let's Grooveː The Music Of Earth Wind & Fire

When last heard from, Canadian Cory Weeds was wielding a mean neo-swing tenor saxophone with the superb Jeff Hamilton trio on the albums Dreamsville and This Happy Madness. On Let's Groove: The Music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Weeds moves from tenor to alto (with no loss of merit) alongside tenor and fellow Canadian Steve Kaldestad, Hammond B3 maestro Mike LeDonne, guitarist Dave Sikula, drummer Jason Tiemann and (on four tracks) percussionist Liam MacDonald.

This is the third Weeds / LeDonne collaboration, the first two having surveyed the music of boppers Hank Mobley and Jackie McLean. Make no mistake, this latest alliance espouses a funky R&B groove, in keeping with EW&F's temperament, but one that seems to suit the ensemble well. If there's a weakness in that blueprint it is that much of the music, as far as rhythm and tempo are concerned, is complementary; that is to say, the variations are as a rule so spare as to be immaterial. There is one ballad ("Imagination") and an Afro-jazz burner ("Kalimba") that veer somewhat away from the requisite design, but they are the exception.

The end result does show that almost any form of music, R&B included, lends itself under the proper circumstances to an agreeable jazz rendition. The hallmarks in this case include accomplished and versatile musicians who give the music its due, embracing the spirit of the original themes while giving them a jazzier spin that serves to enhance their immanent charm. Weeds and Kaldestad comprise an impressive front line, while LeDonne and his comrades provide a taut and unbending rhythmic backdrop.

Those who are familiar with EW&F may recognize some (or all) of the tunes on offer, most of which are under the sway of LeDonne's forceful Hammond organ (which obviates the need for bass or piano) and enfold cogent solos by Weeds, Kaldestad, Sikula and Tiemann, as well as by LeDonne himself. For those who savor rhythm that is spiced with blues, this is a generally pleasurable session that should set your toes to tapping as you groove along with Weeds and his open-hearted quintet / sextet.

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/lets-groove-the-music-of-earth-wind-and-fire-cory-weeds

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Cuando se supo de él por última vez, el canadiense Cory Weeds tenía un saxofón tenor neo-swing con el magnífico trío de Jeff Hamilton en los álbumes Dreamsville y This Happy Madness. En Let's Groove: The Music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Weeds se mueve de tenor a alto (sin pérdida de mérito) junto al tenor y compañero canadiense Steve Kaldestad, el maestro Hammond B3 Mike LeDonne, el guitarrista Dave Sikula, el baterista Jason Tiemann y (en cuatro pistas) el percusionista Liam MacDonald.

Esta es la tercera colaboración entre Weeds y LeDonne, las dos primeras después de haber estudiado la música de los boppers Hank Mobley y Jackie McLean. No se equivoque, esta última alianza adopta un ritmo R&B funky, en consonancia con el temperamento de EW&F, pero que parece encajar bien con el conjunto. Si hay una debilidad en ese plano es que gran parte de la música, en cuanto a ritmo y tempo se refiere, es complementaria; es decir, las variaciones son, por regla general, tan escasas que resultan irrelevantes. Hay una balada ("Imaginación") y una grabadora de afro-jazz ("Kalimba") que se alejan un poco del diseño requerido, pero son la excepción.

El resultado final muestra que casi cualquier forma de música, incluido el R&B, se presta bajo las circunstancias adecuadas para una agradable interpretación de jazz. Los sellos distintivos en este caso incluyen a músicos consumados y versátiles que dan a la música lo que se merece, abrazando el espíritu de los temas originales al mismo tiempo que les dan un giro más jazzier que sirve para realzar su encanto inmanente. Weeds y Kaldestad forman una impresionante primera línea, mientras que LeDonne y sus camaradas proporcionan un marco rítmico tenso e inflexible.

Aquellos que están familiarizados con EW&F pueden reconocer algunas (o todas) de las melodías ofrecidas, la mayoría de las cuales están bajo el dominio del poderoso órgano Hammond de LeDonne (lo que evita la necesidad de bajo o piano) y envuelven a solistas convincentes de Weeds, Kaldestad, Sikula y Tiemann, así como del propio LeDonne. Para aquellos que disfrutan de un ritmo que se condimenta con blues, esta es una sesión generalmente placentera que debe hacer que sus dedos de los pies toquen a medida que usted avanza junto con Weeds y su quinteto / sexteto de corazón abierto.

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/lets-groove-the-music-of-earth-wind-and-fire-cory-weeds

coryweeds.com ...

Tracklist:
1 - Let's Groove - 7:00
2 - Getaway - 6:46
3 - Devotion - 7:40
4 - You And I - 6:15
5 - That's The Way Of The World - 6:12
6 - Imagination - 5:53
7 - Shining Star - 8:23
8 - Kalimba - 10:38
9 - After The Love Is Gone - 6:35


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone, Executive-Producer, Producer, Photography By – Cory Weeds
    Drums – Jason Tiemann
    Engineer – Robert Fernandez
    Graphic Design, Layout – Ian Hendrickson-Smith
    Guitar, Engineer [Assistant] – Dave Sikula
    Mixed By, Mastered By – Chris Sulit
    Organ [Hammond B-3], Producer – Mike LeDonne
    Percussion – Liam MacDonald (tracks: 2, 5-6, 8)
    Photography By – Randy Cole
    Tenor Saxophone – Steve Kaldestad


Label: Cellar Live ‎– CL041017
Released: 2017
Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul




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