Search - Donald Harrison :: Free Style

Hugely satisfying

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 02/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A very curious thing regularly happens in jazz. A young player of promise comes up, often accompanied by lots of (perhaps unwarranted) hype, makes a mark of sorts, and then quietly slips to the fringes of the scene. Initially signed to one of the big labels, his sales don't meet expectations, and he's dropped. Sadly, this scenario repeats itself all too often. That's what's happened to Donald Harrison, I'm thinking. And it's a crying shame. Just as he's coming into his full powers, he's likely to be neglected.



Originally paired with Terrance Blanchard, the two were touted in the late eighties as the saviors of jazz. It just didn't pan out.



Not that Harrison entirely disappeared; he just seemed to fade, as it were.



Well, let me tell you, he's back. And in spades.



His last few discs before this one, especially Nouveau Swing and Free to Be, showcased an artist nearly at the peak of his powers. What they promised entirely comes to fruition in this marvelous disc. For one thing, he's got a killer band behind him. Bassist Vincente Archer made a huge impression on Nicholas Peyton's Sonic Trance, and he does nothing here to make one think that he's anything but a monster player. But the real revelation is John Lamkin on drums. A name unfamiliar to me, he plays with a hugely attractive controlled abandon, subtly supplying nuanced coloration or driving beats as appropriate. As this is primarily a trio session (interestingly augmented by pianist Glen Patscha on three cuts, also someone I'm not familiar with, but a player of considerable note) Lamkin plays a key role here. And he always comes through with exactly the right percussive move. I'm always somewhat leery of sax-bass-drum trio sessions because if they don't have the exact right mix of players, they often seem to bog down. Recent exceptions include the altogether marvelous Fly, Happy Apple's latest ("Peace Between Our Companies), and this spectacular disc.



And though each of the players makes and essential contribution to this fabulous set, it's the leader on alto sax who shines brightest. Over the years he's developed a huge presence on alto sax, lightly worn and authoritatively delivered, sometimes recalling Bobby Watson ("New Hope" sounds uncannily like the reigning maestro), sometimes going for a harder swinging groove ("Get Your Swerve") reminiscent of Greg Osby or Kenny Garrett. And you'll simply revel in the sonic ravishment of the Miles standard, "So What," which here, almost magically, becomes the version against which all others will be measured, not least because of some brilliant Patscha pianisms (let's get him on board for an entire disc with this rhythm section!).



One thing surprises about this session: although it contains two bonus selections featuring jazz warriors Billy Cobham and Ron Carter, the trio cuts with the regular band far outshine those of the Old Guard: The torch has indeed been passed.



A very fine session featuring not only an aging young lion leader, but also some of the hottest young rhythm jazzers on the scene today.



Entirely worth acquiring."