Review by Michael G. Nastos
No
one should consider the pairing of great jazz trumpeters Freddie
Hubbard and Woody Shaw akin to oil and water. Both are on fire, defer to
each other's personalized sound, and swing hard with fervor, supported
by an equally talented band featuring the always wondrous pianist
Mulgrew Miller, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Carl Allen. The X
factor is alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, fresh off a stint with Miles
Davis, who rounds out the overall sound and contributes a vital harmonic
element to the double-edged swords Hubbard and Shaw wield. The eight
tracks are balanced between originals by the co-leaders and compositions
from their revered predecessors, all molded into straight-ahead,
no-nonsense hard bop. Shaw's famous "Moontrane" and lesser-known
"Tomorrow's Destiny" are shining examples of how to modernize tried and
true bop themes, the former a memorable hard-charging number with the
brass players shadowing each other in full, rich dialog, the latter
cleanly moving from inventive spatial modal tones to calypso and bebop
with seamless acumen. Hubbard's "Down Under" challenges the soul shuffle
precept with some great harmonic content from the three horns, while
the neglected "Nostrand and Fulton" moves from beats of four, five, and
six with seeming magical cues that fool you until you listen a second or
third time. Lee Morgan's "Calling Miss Khadija" contains much spirit in
a modal 6/8 framework; Kenny Dorham's "São Paulo" uses flutter and
trilled unison lines effectively with melodic long tones and tuneful
notes within the spaces; and the straight Sonny Stitt bopper "The
Eternal Triangle" simply steams ahead with Hubbard, Shaw, and Garrett
like a passenger train. Little Benny Harris wrote the closer, "Reets and
I," for Bud Powell, and on this session the band does nothing to
diminish its impact. What Miller brings to this group cannot be
discounted, a presence in terms of support, but also one who is clearly
having a ball inventing chords and substituting his own harmonic
flourishes, clearly inspired by his cohorts. This group toured
sporadically, giving live audiences a stretched-out taste of what these
two brilliant musicians were capable of dishing out in their later --
but still formative -- years. You'd be hard-pressed to find another
pairing of great jazz trumpeters that made music as spectacular as is
heard on this essential recording, perfect or fans, students, or those
who simply love a hard-swinging, boldly played brass horn or two.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-eternal-triangle-mw0000202026
///////
Reseña de Michael G. Nastos
Nadie
debería considerar que la pareja de grandes trompetistas de jazz
Freddie Hubbard y Woody Shaw es similar al aceite y el agua. Ambos están
en llamas, ceden al sonido personalizado del otro y se balancean con
fervor, apoyados por una banda igualmente talentosa con el siempre
maravilloso pianista Mulgrew Miller, el bajista Ray Drummond y el
baterista Carl Allen. The X factor es el saxofonista alto Kenny Garrett,
recién salido de una temporada con Miles Davis, que completa el sonido
general y contribuye con un elemento armónico vital a las espadas de
doble filo que manejan Hubbard y Shaw. Las ocho pistas están
equilibradas entre originales de los colíderes y composiciones de sus
venerados predecesores, todas moldeadas en un hard bop directo y
sensato. El famoso "Moontrane" de Shaw y el menos conocido "Tomorrow's
Destiny" son ejemplos brillantes de cómo modernizar temas bop probados y
verdaderos, el primero un número memorable y difícil de cargar con los
músicos de metal que se sombrean entre sí en un diálogo completo y rico,
el segundo se mueve limpiamente de tonos modales espaciales inventivos a
calipso y bebop con una perspicacia perfecta. "Down Under" de Hubbard
desafía el precepto del soul shuffle con un gran contenido armónico de
los tres cuernos, mientras que el descuidado" Nostrand and Fulton " se
mueve a partir de ritmos de cuatro, cinco y seis con señales
aparentemente mágicas que te engañan hasta que escuchas una segunda o
tercera vez. "Calling Miss Khadija" de Lee Morgan contiene mucho
espíritu en un marco modal de 6/8; "São Paulo" de Kenny Dorham utiliza
líneas al unísono onduladas y trinadas de manera efectiva con tonos
largos melódicos y notas melodiosas dentro de los espacios; y el recto
Sonny Stitt bopper" El Triángulo Eterno " simplemente avanza con
Hubbard, Shaw y Garrett como un tren de pasajeros. El pequeño Benny
Harris escribió el cierre, "Reets and I", para Bud Powell, y en esta
sesión la banda no hace nada para disminuir su impacto. No se puede
descartar lo que Miller aporta a este grupo, una presencia en términos
de apoyo, pero también uno que claramente se está divirtiendo inventando
acordes y sustituyendo sus propias florituras armónicas, claramente
inspiradas en sus cohortes. Este grupo realizó giras esporádicas, dando
al público en vivo una muestra de lo que estos dos brillantes músicos
fueron capaces de ofrecer en sus últimos años, pero aún formativos.
Sería difícil encontrar otra pareja de grandes trompetistas de jazz que
hicieran música tan espectacular como la que se escucha en esta
grabación esencial, perfecta para fanáticos, estudiantes o aquellos que
simplemente aman una trompa de latón dura y audazmente tocada o dos.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-eternal-triangle-mw0000202026
Tracks:
1 - Down Under
Composed By – Freddie Hubbard 7:35
2 - The Eternal Triangle
Composed By – Sonny Stitt 7:47
3 - The Moontrane
Composed By – Woody Shaw 6:28
4 - Calling Miss Khadija
Composed By – Lee Morgan 6:38
5 - Nostrand And Fulton
Composed By – Freddie Hubbard 6:09
6 - Tomorrow's Destiny
Composed By – Woody Shaw 7:04
7 - Sao Paulo
Composed By – Kenny Dorham 8:10
8 - Reets And I
Composed By – Benny Harris 6:41
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett
Arranged By – Don Sickler
Bass – Ray Drummond
Design – Richard Mantel
Drums – Carl Allen
Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Rudy Van Gelder
Photography By – Katsuji Abe
Piano – Mulgrew Miller
Producer – Don Sickler, Michael Cuscuna
Trumpet [Left Channel] – Freddie Hubbard
Trumpet [Right Channel] – Woody Shaw
Notes:
Recorded directly to 2 tracks digital on the Mitsubishi X-80 tape machine at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, on June 11-12, 1987.
Tracks 7 & 8 don't appear on LP configuration.
Label: Blue Note – CDP 7 48017 2
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Jazz
Style: Contemporary Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/5005279-Freddie-Hubbard-Woody-Shaw-The-Eternal-Triangle
No comments:
Post a Comment