Texte verso Paul Chambers Quintet
The influx of revolutionary ideas into the jazz mainstream, since the death of Charlie Parker, has been rather static. No one man, since Bird's passing, has suddenly emerged to prompt an entirely new school of jazz thought, as wide spread and important as was his. But there have been a great many gifted young musicians with something to say, who have based their method of expression on that of Bird's (the label is "Bop") and are going on from there perhaps to someday achieve even greater heights. Among them are the musicians heard on this record.
Paul Chambers, unquestionably the finest bass player to hit the jazz scene in more than a decade, is the leader here, and has as his cohorts an assemblage of some of the brightest young talent in modern jazz.
Paul was born in Pittsburgh on April 22, 1935 and moved to Detroit at an early age after the death of his mother. He had his first musical experiences in school playing bass, baritone horn, and tuba, and worked his first gigs in the Detroit area with Kenny Burrell, Thad Jones, and Barry Harris. While attending Cass Tech, Paul studied with the bassist in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, receiving a solid foundation in the classical aspects of his instrument. He toured with Paul Quinichette before coming to New York where he has worked mostly with Miles Davis. In 1956, his first full year in New York, Paul won "New Star" honors in the Down Beat "Critics Poll" and the "Musician's Musicians Poll" in the "Encyclopedia Of Jazz Yearbook." He leads a Sextet on BLP 1534 ("Whims Of Chambers") and has also recorded for Blue Note with Kenny Burrell, BLP 1523 and 1543; Hank Mobley, BLP 1540 and Lee Morgan, BLP 1541.
Cliff Jordan, the bespectacled tenor saxophonist from Chicago, is one of the latest Blue Note "discoveries." His punching, hard-toned tenor lies in sound and direction between John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, and for my money (and a good deal of it is spent on records like this one) Cliff and Johnny Griffin (an earlier Blue Note find, also from Chicago, BLP 1533 and 1559) are the two most promising tenor saxophonists in jazz today. At this writing Cliff had just completed a four week gig with the Max Roach Quintet and was about to switch places with Hank Mobley of Horace Silver's group. He shared his first Blue Note LP ("Blowing In From Chicago", BLP 1549) with still another excellent Chicago tenor, John Gilmore, and has a second one due out shortly (BLP1565).
Donald Byrd's driving, gritty trumpet has reached the point of "near greatness" predicted by many critics and fellow musicians when he first hit the New York scene several years ago. He is one of the most sought after (for club and record dates) of contemporary trumpet men and has worked, it seems, with everyone in town but the N.Y. Philharmonic. Joking aside, Don's talent is certainly deserving of ils ubiquitous exposure, and Blue Note has seen fit to record him with Horace Silver, BLP 1539; Hank Mobley, BLP 1540; Sonny Rollins, BLP 1542; Lou Donaldson, BLP 1545; Jimmy Smith, BLP 1546/48 and Chambers on BLP 1534. Incidentally, Sonny Rollins, seriously considering the organization of a quintet of his own, has expressed his desire to have Byrd as the other horn. Quite a compliment.
Drummer Elvin Jones, brother of Hank and Thad, is the youngest of the Pontiac, Michigan "Jones Boys." He was born on September 9, 1927 and after playing in high school and Army bands, gigged in and around Detroit with brother Thad and Billy Mitchell. He played at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955 with Teddy Charles and Charlie Mingus and moved to New York City in the Spring of 1956 working with the Bud Powell Trio. He lists as his favorite drummers Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, and Roy Haynes and shows promise of someday (and it's not too far off) becoming a "favorite" himself.
Tommy Flanagan's soft, lyrical touch is a constant delight throughout this or any other album he happens to appear on. He is of the Bud Powell "single-line" or "one-handed" school of modern piano players; always tasteful and sensitive to the soloist he is complementing, and is himself an imaginative and poignant soloist. He's recorded before for Blue Note with Thad Jones, BLP 1513 and 1546 and Kenny Burrell, BLP 1523 and 1543.
Side one is kicked off with Benny Golson's Minor Run-Down which, along with Four Strings, was written by Benny especially for this date. Benny is the Philadelphia composer, arranger, and tenor saxophonist, currently with Dizzy Gillespie's big band, who seems to make a practice of writing extremely appealing originals. Benny contributed four charts to Lee Morgan's "Sextet" LP (BLP 1541); Slightly Hep, Where Am I, Whisper Nof and Latin Hangover. Lee also recorded Benny's Stand By and Reggie Of Chester on BLP 1538 and Hasaan's Dream, Domingo, I Remember Clifford, Mesabi Chant and Tip-Toeing on BLP 1557. On this one Paul solos first stating the sad ominous melody with punctuating assists from the horns and is followed by a strong vibrant Jordan who shows off the Coltrane influence in a most invigorating way. Byrd is slashing and gutty as he is throughout the session. Flanagan's bit is light and neat and leads in to a cute four bar exchange between Paul's bass and Elvin's brushes.
Paul's The Hand Of Love has a Latin-flavored intro and a familiar, pretty melody line. Paul, Tommy, Cliff, Don and Elvin flow engagingly in that order.
The standard, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise, is played by Paul, Tommy and Elvin minus the horns. The piano and bass engage in an effective interplay and solo eloquently over Elvin's discreet brushwork.
Paul's bowed bass, in unison with the horns on the opening and closing portions of Golson's Four Strings, which begins side two, gives the impression that a guitar has suddenly been added to the group. The effect is quite arresting. Jordan and Byrd belt out a pair of characteristically hard, driving solos followed by a groovy Flanagan and a short workout by Jones.
The lovely, What's New, is taken at a surprising medium rather than slow, ballad tempo. Everyone but Jones gets a turn to come up front and blow. But Elvin gets his chance on Beauteous, an exuberant, rocking theme by Chambers, that J.R. Monterose recorded before on BLP 1536 as each member of the group makes a significant statement before the tune and the session ends.
And so contained herein is a meaningful sampling of the talents of six (I am including Benny Golson) young musicians who represent an extension of the Bop tradition and are among its most articulate and swinging exponents.
Robert Levin