Geri Allen-Dave Holland-Jack DeJohnette • The Life Of A Song

 

Considering this disc's title, it might seem an irony that the improvising displays a good deal more dazzling life than most of the compositions. But with the personnel on this session, that isn't much of a disadvantage - and the improvising is so good that the songs are required to act as little more than triggers to the spontaneous playing. It's a timely reminder of the gifts of Geri Allen, the Michigan-born jazz pianist, who is also touring the UK for six gigs from next Tuesday, in the quite different setting of Scottish drummer Tom Bancroft's Orchestro Interrupto big band. Allen is a woman with a glowing reputation for many achievements, not least being the first keyboardist in 35 years to be hired by Ornette Coleman - a measure of her open approach and ability to float free of harmony's more inflexible principles. For this session, she has reassembled the trio she formed to back the vocals of the late Betty Carter in 1993, with Dave Holland on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums - about as good as the contemporary jazz piano trio business gets.

The music consists of eight Allen originals, plus Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life, Bud Powell's Dance of the Infidels and Mal Waldron's Soul Eyes - the last including brass and reeds, with Allen's early teacher, Marcus Belgrave, on flugelhorn. The power of the group is apparent from the opening bars. Allen's opening LWB House - the Remix (it's a reference to the ever-changing chemistry of her family) starts as a mid-tempo ostinato and develops with dissonant harmonies, mimicking the string sound of the African kora. The pianist's eventful solos, Holland's forward-leaning basslines and DeJohnette's imperious drumming are into their strides at once, with the latter contrastingly reserved, gentle and cymbal-preoccupied on the following Mounts and Mountains, with its shifting four-note patterns over a bass pedal-tone.

Allen plays a lovely version of Lush Life in low, dark chords developing into pealing sounds (Bill Evans phrases occasionally flitting in) over an ebbing and flowing pulse, and her Herbie Hancock associations are exuberantly celebrated in the rolling gospel feel of Celebration Song and the impulsive momentum of Dance of the Infidels. All the playing is terrific, and Allen herself often breathtaking The originals may grow on you, but it doesn't matter if they don't.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/oct/01/jazz.shopping

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Considerando el título de este disco, podría parecer una ironía que la improvisación muestre una vida mucho más deslumbrante que la mayoría de las composiciones. Pero con el personal de esta sesión, eso no es una gran desventaja , y la improvisación es tan buena que se requiere que las canciones actúen como poco más que desencadenantes de la interpretación espontánea. Es un recordatorio oportuno de los dones de Geri Allen,la pianista de jazz nacida en Michigan, que también está de gira por el Reino Unido durante seis conciertos a partir del próximo martes, en el escenario bastante diferente de la big band Orchestro Interrupto del baterista escocés Tom Bancroft. Allen es una mujer con una brillante reputación por muchos logros, entre ellos ser la primera tecladista en 35 años contratada por Ornette Coleman, una medida de su enfoque abierto y su capacidad para flotar libre de los principios más inflexibles de harmony. Para esta sesión, ha vuelto a montar el trío que formó para respaldar la voz de la fallecida Betty Carter en 1993, con Dave Holland al bajo y Jack DeJohnette a la batería, casi tan bueno como lo es el negocio del trío de piano de jazz contemporáneo.

La música consta de ocho originales de Allen, más Lush Life de Billy Strayhorn, Dance of the Infidels de Bud Powell y Soul Eyes de Mal Waldron, el último de los cuales incluye metales y cañas , con el primer maestro de Allen, Marcus Belgrave, al fliscorno. El poder del grupo es evidente en los primeros compases. El remix de LWB House de apertura de Allen (es una referencia a la química siempre cambiante de su familia) comienza como un ostinato de medio tiempo y se desarrolla con armonías disonantes, imitando el sonido de cuerda de la kora africana. Los agitados solos del pianista, las líneas de bajo inclinadas hacia adelante de Holland y la imperiosa batería de DeJohnette avanzan a la vez, con este último contrastantemente reservado, gentil y preocupado por los platillos en los siguientes Montes y Montañas, con sus patrones cambiantes de cuatro notas sobre un tono de pedal de bajo.

Allen interpreta una versión encantadora de Lush Life en acordes bajos y oscuros que se convierten en sonidos de repique (frases de Bill Evans ocasionalmente revoloteando) sobre un pulso que fluye y mengua, y sus asociaciones con Herbie Hancock se celebran exuberantemente en la sensación gospel de la canción de Celebración y el impulso impulsivo de Dance of the Infidels. Toda la interpretación es excelente, y la propia Allen a menudo deja boquiabiertos a los originales, pero no importa si no lo hacen.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/oct/01/jazz.shopping


 

geriallen.com ...
daveholland.com/geri-allen-the-life-of-a-song ...
www.jackdejohnette.com ...


Tracks:
1 - LWB's House (The Remix)
Written-By – Geri Allen 5:52
2 - Mounts And Mountains
Written-By – Geri Allen 8:05
3 - Lush Life
Written-By – Billy Strayhorn 8:11
4 - In Appreciation: A Celebration Song
Written-By – Geri Allen 6:09
5 - The Experimental Movement
Written-By – Geri Allen 7:09
6 - Holdin' Court
Written-By – Geri Allen 4:39
7 - Dance Of The Infidels
Written-By – Bud Powell 4:03
8 - Unconditional Love
Written-By – Geri Allen 5:16
9 - The Life Of A Song
Written-By – Geri Allen 5:23
10 - Black Bottom
Written-By – Geri Allen 4:29
11 - Soul Eyes
Flugelhorn – Marcus Belgrave
Saxophone – Dwight Andrews
Trombone – Clifton Anderson
Written-By – Mal Waldron 5:40


Credits:
    Arranged By – Geri Allen
    Art Direction, Design – Anilda Carrasquillo
    Bass – Dave Holland
    Coordinator [Project Coordinator] – Ora Harris, Ross Clayton Productions
    Drums – Jack DeJohnette
    Engineer [Assistant] – Peter Doris
    Engineer, Mastered By – Michael Bishop
    Executive-Producer – Robert Woods (2)
    Liner Notes – Dan Ouellette, Geri Allen
    Mastered By – Michael Bishop
    Photography By – Shonna Valeska
    Piano, Arranged By [All Arrangements] – Geri Allen
    Producer – Elaine Martone, Geri Allen

Total Playing Time [65:30]

Recorded Live Direct to DSD in Avatar Studios, Studio C, New York City, January 16-17, 2004

Label:    Telarc Jazz – CD-83598, Telarc – CD-83598
Country:    US
Released:    2004
Genre:    Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/2830468-Geri-Allen-Dave-Holland-Jack-DeJohnette-The-Life-Of-A-Song

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