Elmo Hope Trio • Riker's Island

 

Review
by Thom Jurek  
Kudos to Spain's Fresh Sound label for digging this one out of its undeserved obscurity. This 1963 session assembled by composer Sid Frey, pianist and composer Elmo Hope, and vibist Walt Dickerson (who doesn't appear on the record) is a blowing date centered around the notion of drug addiction and hopelessness for the addict/slave musician who ends up in places like Rikers Island. As a cultural and social critique, it fails other than in its liner notes. As a musical document, it is an overwhelming success. Hope surrounds himself with musicians whose reputations are now legendary: Philly Joe Jones, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Lawrence Jackson, and Freddie Douglas. Hope and Frey composed six of the set's nine selections, ranging from the breezy hard bop of "Ode for Joe," which allowed Jones the ability to drive the band from outside the arrangement, to the lushly romantic "Monique" and the waltz-as-turnstile blues of "Kevin." "Trippin'" is a blues that slips through harmonic changes quickly and seamlessly with startling stop-and-start cadences. The high points of the session are "A Night in Tunisia," a stretch-out for everyone, and the amazing rendition of "Groovin' High" that closes the album, featuring Marcelle Daniels on scatted vocals. Veteran Earl Coleman also appears as a singer on the Ellington tune "It Shouldn't Happen to a Dream," but even in these two tracks, the level of musical empathy and improvisational reciprocity is inspiring. This is an obscure date but it shouldn't be, as it features some of Hope and Gilmore's finest playing, and shows Jones in rare, lighthearted form.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sounds-from-rikers-island-mw0000323052

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Revisar
por Thom Jurek
Felicitaciones al sello español Fresh Sound por sacar a este de su inmerecida oscuridad. Esta sesión de 1963 reunida por el compositor Sid Frey, el pianista y compositor Elmo Hope y el vibista Walt Dickerson (que no aparece en el disco) es una fecha deslumbrante centrada en la noción de adicción a las drogas y la desesperanza del músico adicto/esclavo que termina en lugares como Rikers Island. Como crítica cultural y social, falla excepto en sus notas de fondo. Como documento musical, es un éxito abrumador. Hope se rodea de músicos cuya reputación ahora es legendaria: Philly Joe Jones, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Lawrence Jackson y Freddie Douglas. Hope y Frey compusieron seis de las nueve selecciones del conjunto, que van desde el alegre hard bop de "Ode for Joe", que le permitió a Jones la capacidad de conducir a la banda desde fuera del arreglo, hasta la exuberantemente romántica "Monique" y el vals. -Blues torniquete de "Kevin". "Trippin'" es un blues que se desliza a través de cambios armónicos de forma rápida y fluida con sorprendentes cadencias intermitentes. Los puntos culminantes de la sesión son "A Night in Tunisia", un estiramiento para todos, y la increíble interpretación de "Groovin' High" que cierra el álbum, con Marcelle Daniels en voces dispersas. El veterano Earl Coleman también aparece como cantante en la melodía de Ellington "It Shouldn't Happen to a Dream", pero incluso en estas dos pistas, el nivel de empatía musical y reciprocidad de improvisación es inspirador. Esta es una fecha oscura, pero no debería serlo, ya que presenta algunas de las mejores interpretaciones de Hope y Gilmore, y muestra a Jones en una forma rara y alegre.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sounds-from-rikers-island-mw0000323052


Many thanks to boppinbob / fromthevaults-boppinbob.blogspot.com ...

Tracks:
1 - One For Joe - 4:32
2 - Ecstasy - 3:12
3 - Three Silver Quarters - 4:40
4 - A Night In Tunisia
Composed By – Gillespie, Paparelli - 5:59
5 - Trippin' - 3:18
6 - It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream
Composed By – George, Ellington, Hodges
Vocals – Earl Coleman - 4:10
7 - Kevin - 4:13
8 - Monique - 3:00
9 - Groovin' High
Composed By – Gillespie
Vocals – Mercelle Daniels - 3:00


Credits:
    Bass – Ronald Boykins*
    Drums – Philly Joe Jones*
    Liner Notes – Nat Hentoff
    Piano, Arranged By – Elmo Hope
    Producer, A&R – Sidney Frey
    Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Freddie Douglas*
    Tenor Saxophone – John Gilmore
    Trumpet – Lawrence Jackson
    Vocals – Earl Coleman (tracks: B2), Marcelle Daniels (tracks: B5)

Recorded in Riker's Island, New York, on August 19, 1963

Label:    Audio Fidelity – AFLP 2119
Country:    US
Released:    1963
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Hard Bop
https://www.discogs.com/release/2070720-Elmo-Hope-Ensemble-Sounds-From-Rikers-Island

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