Search - Henry Grimes :: The Call

ESP Rips Off a Great Artist

R. Theis | USA | 07/06/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is a classic of free jazz and shows Henry Grimes' brilliance as a player and improviser. It is a 5-star recording, but I have given it only one star to bring to your attention that ESP Disk has again re-released this recording without making any arrangements whatsoever to pay Henry a penny. I am told that Bernard Stollman of ESP owes Henry more than 4O years of royalties for sales of this recording and has paid him only $1O to record it in the first place. This is unconscionable exploitation. Mr. Stollman should be ASHAMED. [...]"

One of the great musicians

John T | Queensland, Australia | 06/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the work of a great trio. Perry Robinson and Tom Price are terrific players but the centre of this music is Henry Grimes.

Anyone who listens (sorry critics) will hear the accuracy and range of Henry Grimes' technique and that alone would make his playing remarkable but he possesses another less common attribute. He is incredibly inventive and in his invention and his development of themes he shows exceptional musicality and taste.

There's not a wasted note on this recording; it's all music and all good.



Reading the work of music critics can be amusing (I recall one who described the members of Monk's fabulous band of the mid sixties as "inferior sidemen") but it's unfortunate that they have influence on what gets listened to.

It seems likely that most critics don't hear the bass. Great performances by bass players are rarely mentioned in record liner notes.



I guess it's well known that Henry Grimes is back but let's hope that his musical importance is widely recognized (as it certainly will be eventually) before long."