Search - Randy Weston, Payne :: Jazz a La Bohemia

Great performance, poor sound quality

Ian Hutchison | Denver, CO | 07/01/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, my background:
I own over 300 jazz albums, and I'm majoring in jazz bass performance in college.Second, the sound:
This album was recorded live, and the sound quality is below average. There's little high-end clarity, but there's no hiss, thank goodness. The album is definitely listenable: I'd rank the fidelity between, say, your average Charlie Parker recording and your average late fifties blue note album. Furthermore, the drums are hard to hear, but the balance of the other instruments is fine. My main point is that one would not expect an album from 1956 to sound like this.Third, the music:
Randy Weston, piano. Cecil Payne, bari sax (except tracks 3, 6). Ahmed Abdul-Malik, bass. Al Drears, drums. Weston's style at this point in his career is very similar to Monk's. Weston is more "in," though. Some of his high register use reminds me of Art Tatum. His solo rendition of "It's all right with me" is gorgeous: he does some very cool things with the harmony. Cecil Payne has a wonderful, smooth sound (think, "Paul Desmond on bari"). I really like his solos, especially on "Chessman's Delight," which is Weston's only composition on the album. Abdul-Malik plays solidly throughout, and his sound is big and warm. I can't comment on the drummer because he's not very present in the mix. Overall, great performances and solos by all. Lots of energy.Fourth, the recommendation:
If you're looking for some of Randy Weston's older stuff, you should get "With These Hands" before this one. The lineup is the same but with a different drummer, I believe. The fidelity is much better, and it's probably a better album overall. If you already have and love "With These Hands," and you don't mind marginal sound quality, you will surely enjoy this album as well."