Search - George Adams, Dannie Richmond :: Gentlemen's Agreement

Eclectic sounds -- three and a half stars

Tyler Smith | Denver, CO United States | 04/18/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Three years after 1980s "Hand-in-Hand," Adams and Richmond teamed up for another Soul Note date, "Gentleman's Agreement." Joining them again were former Mingus sidemen pianist Hugh Lawson and trombonist Jimmy Knepper. Longtime associate Cameron Brown returned on bass. The results on "Gentleman's Agreement" are again musically strong, although the musical focus is a bit blurred."Musical focus" is subjective, of course, and one man may feel the focus is blurred while another revels in the album's diversity. For me, I found that the conventional swingers, "More Sightings" and "Dream of the Rising Sun" provided plenty of space for fine soloing, but the tunes themselves didn't stay with me. In short, the playing was compelling, but the compositions overall were not. Programatically the placement of the ballad and Adams sax vehicle "Don't Take Your Love from Me" next to Richmond's highly abstract "Symphony for Five" was jarring. "Symphony" offers much musical space and room for thought and interpretation for the listener, but it doesn't feel like it should be part of this album. Next to it, for example, is Lawson' very lyrical and tightly composed "Prayer for a Jitterbug," probably the best song on the date. Placed next to "Symphony for Five," you wonder how much collaboration went into the date or if the title of the album refers to a "gentlemen's agreement" that each guy was free to go his own way.These critical remarks don't mean that the CD isn't worth a listen, because it clearly is. The musical power and integrity of each player has been well documented -- by me in other Amazon reviews, among many others -- but I'll give a special mention here to bassist Cameron Brown who is particularly powerful and rhythmically tight on "Prayer to a Jitterbug" and on Lawson's very catchy "Rip-Off." This guy's a great bass player and those interested in hearing more of him should check out his work with Adams and Richmond with Don Pullen on other '80s imports such as "Life Line" and "Earth Beams," which I note because they are both available on Amazon.Fans of Adams, Richmond and friends will want to add this one to their collections, but listeners coming on them for the first time might find "Hand-in-Hand" a better initial pickup."