Musicians
always strive to capture the spirit and energy of a live performance in the
recording studio - a formidable challenge without the mirror of the live
audience. With Night and Day - his second album for Smoke Sessions Records -
the brilliant alto saxophonist Vincent Herring achieves this elusive goal
unequivocally. On all 10 tracks of this remarkable album, all of the immediacy,
excitement and visceral energy of a packed house on a Saturday night are so
palpable, that the listener is always expecting an explosion of applause at the
end of every solo and each track. Hard blowing, no-nonsense jazz is at the
heart of this entire matter, played in its timeless essence of urgent intensity
by an ensemble of superb musicians.
"This
recording is special to me. I enjoyed every minute of it and I'm grateful that
I was able to make it," says Herring. "I'm still growing as a
musician and person and I think it's my best record yet."
Renowned
for his soulful and powerfully expressive playing, the explosive altoist is
joined on the front line for six pieces by the equally combustible trumpeter
Jeremy Pelt. The rhythm section of Mike LeDonne on piano, Brandi Disterheft on
bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums are ideally suited to the fierce energy and
take-no-prisoners context, performing with exuberant fire and impeccable taste
throughout. LeDonne's spirited comping and impressive solos, and Disterheft's
impeccable time and vibrant sound combine with Farnsworth's inventive drive and
sparkling punctuation to create that synergy and unity that is essential to
music of this substance. Pelt's virtuosity and rich lyricism, even at breakneck
tempos, is the perfect complement to Herring's dynamic creativity and absolute
command in executing his endless stream of ideas.
The
repertoire is outstanding. There are two Herring originals, "The
Adventures of Hyun Joo Lee," a scorcher based on Coltrane's
"Countdown;" and a nicely grooved up-tempo blues, "Smoking
Paul's Stash" that closes the album. The four quartet pieces include a
rip-roaring version of Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and a piece
played by many alto greats, "The Gypsy," a beautifully heartfelt
ballad expressed mostly in double time. Cannonball Adderley's
"Wabash" (from the Cannonball & Coltrane album) features Herring
in appropriately bluesy form; and Tex Allen's infectious "There Is
Something about You (I Don't Know)" has a ballad-ish samba feel, built on
LeDonne's shimmering electric piano and with evocatively plaintive alto. Donald
Byrd's iconic hard-bop classic "Fly, Little Bird, Fly" is a splendid
flight and Cedar Walton's lovely Latin-tinged "Theme for Jobim" is
played with deep warmth and expression. Cedar is further remembered with LeDonne's
"Walton," a rich, complex and poignant tribute performed with the
deep love that is felt for the legendary pianist and leader. His saxophonist
for more than 20 years, Herring says: "All of us are Cedar's musical
children. I wish we could have played this one for him."
This
leads to another vital element of the jazz legacy that is fully at play on
Night and Day - the evolution of an extraordinary artist looking at his past to
forge his future. Long regarded by musicians and audiences alike as one of the
foremost alto saxophonists of the modern era, Herring has developed into a
leader through the longstanding tradition of apprenticeship. He's performed
with a veritable who's who of modern jazz, including Art Blakey, Horace Silver,
Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Jack DeJohnette and so many
more. This album builds upon all of that experience, particularly in regard to
his nine years with Nat Adderley (and continuing to uphold the Cannonball
tradition in The Cannonball Legacy Band alongside Pelt), and especially through
his decades long relationship with Cedar Walton, whose passing has been almost
as powerfully affecting as his life influence on so many fine artists.
"Cedar
Walton is not with us anymore, but his musical contributions live on. I love
Cedar's music and learned from him to carry it forward," explains Herring.
"This music is in our hands now."
And
without a doubt, with a master like Vincent Herring, those are good hands
indeed.
"Night
and Day" was recorded live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio A
on a
Rupert Neve 8038 custom console at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape
using a
Studer mastering deck. Available in audiophile HD format.
Vincent
Herring · Night and Day // Smoke
Sessions Records // Release Date: May 12, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment