Search - Jon Faddis :: Legacy

Outstanding; technically superb yet versatile.

Mister Hip-Hop | The Land Where Hip-Hop And Jazz Live. | 01/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jon Faddis is an amazing trumpet player. There's no way around that. Not only is his command of high notes amazing, but his tone is extremely smooth and he can play in all kinds of different musical environments. The constant changes in setting are a big part in what makes Legacy such a great album. Faddis not only pays homage to some of his trumpet playing ancestors but he also shows he has his own voice. Not a moment of this album is boring, it stays interesting whether Faddis is playing a rip-roaring Gillespie bebop tune or a relaxing Thad Jones ballad. In fact, I would probably rate it among my all-time favorites because since I received this album, I have not stopped playing it. Another aspect of this album that makes it great is the arsenal of players Jon Faddis chooses to perform with: Harold Land (who played with Clifford Brown on many records) on tenor saxophone, Kenny Barron (a big up-and-comer in modern jazz) on piano, Ray Brown (a legend) on bass and Mel Lewis (a great drummer who keeps an amazing pulse throughout the record; don't take him for granted). This record deserves high expectations and will not disappoint. The opening has Faddis blowing a crazy blues cadenza into the Joe Oliver-Clarence Williams tune "West End Blues". Louis Armstrong made the original recording of this tune famous, and Faddis's masterful soloing in the upper register mixed with a great sense of rhythm and the flawless "growling" trick make something Mr. Armstrong would probably have enjoyed. Ray Brown takes a nice bass solo in the middle of the song, it appears kind of abruptly but it's great. "Little Jazz", a Roy Eldridge tune, has Faddis doing another great solo - one of my favorite solos on record. Here he also growls and does a pretty good job of imitating Roy's style while still maintaining his own sound and voice. Harold Land and Kenny Barron join the fun with nice swinging solos, Kenny has some Herbie Hancock-like moments. His remake of Dizzy Gillespie's famous classic "A Night In Tunisia" will definitely capture the listener's attention, when he blasts a loud cadenza at the beginning as if he's telling you to listen what he has to say. This is a great recording of the tune, Harold Land comes with a nice saxophone solo and Faddis's insane trills will knock you out. They play the tune in a weird staccato style too, which makes it even more enjoyable. "Instigator" is just what the tune says, something that will make things start up. This is an original composition by Faddis, and he plays a crazy muted solo after Land's strong opening solo. The rhythm section switches up throughout which gives a superb effect. The tempo is speedy so it takes a good rhythm section to keep that up. When Faddis and Land trade back and forth with Mel Lewis, everything clicks perfectly. "Things To Come" is another Gillespie remake, and yet another example of the excitement that Faddis's soloing can create. He goes for more of a Latin-tinged sound here and it works very well. His playing sounds like it is effortless over this whirlwind tempo. Kenny Barron also takes an amazingly quick solo, flying across the keys. The only criticism of this track is the fact that it's relatively short and Harold Land doesn't take a solo, and it's not quite clear why he's missing from this song. "A Child Is Born" shows Faddis playing a more sensitive tune. He moves on from the hard bop sound and into a very sweet Thad Jones ballad. This is perhaps the most impressive track on the album, despite all of the hear-opening virtuosic lines Faddis plays on the other songs. The reason being because he plays with such beauty in tone, and he plays for almost seven minutes straight over this tune and remains focused. That takes a lot of maturity. "Li'l Darlin'" is a Neal Hefti tune that is often played in big bands, but they use the combo setting here. Faddis takes a more laid-back approach to this tune, and uses a more Miles Davis-like sound for his solo. Ray Brown's bass-work is perfect for this song, and it's another successful showcase for Faddis. The Benny Golson-Leonard Feather tune "Whisper Not" is a nice way to end the album because it combines the facets of the fast-paced bop tunes and the laid-back ballads. This moderate tempo piece features a jazzy muted solo from Faddis and a cool solo from Harold Land. The bridge part with the screaming trumpet is amazing, and it's really swinging by the time Kenny Barron takes over. A good ending song.Dizzy Gillespie wasn't kidding when he said this album was terrifying. A lot of really great playing from everyone is on this album. If you're interested in great jazz trumpet playing, or if you like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, Thad Jones and other great jazz trumpet players with great technique, you won't regret buying this album."

Some of THE best jazz trumpet playing ever!

JetTone12 | USA | 08/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jon Faddis is the man! This is one of the most well-rounded trumpet albums I've ever heard. Not only that, it's probably the best album of the 1980's (okay maybe not much competition there). Jon Faddis is absolutely insane as both a trumpet player and musician. He pays tribute to Louis Armstrong beautifully, even quoting the introduction Armstrong recorded on "West End Blues". His imitation is spot on, but he manages to keep his own instrumental voice. He pays homage to Roy Eldridge on "Little Jazz", which is a classic in itself and Faddis plays one of my top five favorite solos on this tune. "A Night In Tunisia" is yet another fantastic recording of the tune, although I feel Faddis overdoes the high register playing a bit on this tune, he still plays a nice solo. Brilliant ensemble playing as well. He delivers on his own tunes too, as shown in "Instigator", where he plays a crazy muted solo flying all over the horn. Yet another tribute to Dizzy is "Things To Come" where he plays a great solo on an extremely fast pace. This song definitely is given the Dizzy feel. "A Child Is Born" is a nice, mellow Thad Jones composition. This is great musicianship and Faddis solos over the whole song. Some of the best flugelhorn playing since Miles Ahead. Then he shows more amazing flugel playing on a fine rendition of Neal Hefti's classic "Li'l Darlin'", and a cool muted version of Benny Golson's "Whisper Not". And how about the sidemen on this date? Former Clifford Brown-Max Roach member Harold Land on tenor saxophone, young lion Kenny Baron on piano, the impeccable Ray Brown on bass, and the wonderful Mel Lewis on drums (co-leader and drummer in the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis big band). Overall there is great playing from everyone. Check out Ray Brown's bass solo on "West End Blues". A classic. Must-have."

Honoring his ancestors

MalibuBill | Malibu, CA | 02/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is worth it simply to hear West End Blues. I have several of Louis' recordings of it but the 1927 sound quality is not good. Faddis plays this and you can finally hear, with modern equipment, just what an astonishing breakthrough the original was. Faddis is true to all of his mentors, even doing great credit to Dizzy's signature piece, Night in Tunisia."