Well-kept secret
Tyler Smith | Denver, CO United States | 03/06/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Philadelphia's Lancaster has not fashioned a big name for himself nationally over the course of a lengthy career, but he is well worth a listen. He is a consistently adventurous player who brings an intriguing blend of influences to his jazz. Along with the difficult to find "Pure Joy," "Worlds" is a good introduction to his music.His debt to Coltrane is immediately apparent when the album opens with "My Favorite Things." Byard performs the tune on soprano, as Coltrane did, and brings a fierce energy to it that is reminiscent to me of Trane's version at Newport in 1963. However, this isn't imitative; his tone is much different and his band brings a full, rich tone to the performance that lets you know the performance is from the '90s, not the '60s.He also shows a larger debt to the '60s avant-garde with the fierce "Philly Jazz 2," full of shrieks, honks and various dissonances. It's fine by me, an exciting performance, but not for everyone.B. Lancaster really shows his originality, though, in other tunes, such as the wonderful "Keno," a lilting, melodic effort on soprano that is somehow simultaneously relaxing and exciting. It includes fine turns by his guitarist, and a richly varied percussion attack that tells you where the title for the album came from. He shows a feel for gentle abstraction in "Garden of Prayer" and works in some island influences on "Mr. G."You'll have to look long and hard for Byard's records (I'd also recommend his CIMP effort with Odean Pope), and it's unlikely you've heard of the guys he plays with. That's an indictment of the record industry, not of him. "Worlds" is a strong effort by an underappreciated artist."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
