Sophisticated Jazz
Gregory Edwards | Fremont, CA USA | 02/16/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Imagine that it's 1964. You're in lower eastside beatnik cafe, sipping on a Singapore sling and making small talk with your friends at the table. The lights are low and the music is playing. It's jazz -- calm, sophisticated, but with the uneasiness of an impending storm.The discography of Larry Coryell -- at 57, still one of the most gifted and fascinating guitarists in American music -- is almost as varied as his mercurial, muscular improvisations. In the past five years alone, his releases have ranged from a solid hard-edged fusion effort, "Cause and Effect" (Tone Center), to an awfully good solo acoustic album, "Private Concert" (Acoustic Music), to last year's "New High" (Highnote), which augments a traditional piano-bass-drums rhythm section with trumpet and vibes. This latest album, "Inner Urge" establishes Coryell as one of the finest guitar players in the traditional jazz genre. The style and most of the material for the album come from the heady early 1960s. The opening salvo begins with the Harold Land classic Compulsion. Bebop is in full swing here, with Don Sickler on trumpet sounding like a young Chet Baker. He appears on only two cuts, but he establishes a graceful, yet forceful attack. Pianist extraordinaire John Hicks never plays a wrong note or never goes down a wrong path. He is superb throughout. Santi Debriano on bass composed the second track, and it begins with a jaunting series of simple repeating bass lines, going into a similar melody that Coryell twists and turns. The middle part switches to standard blues, giving the guitar plenty of room to open up. Debriano is given plenty of solo time throughout the album, which he handles with finesse.The highlight of the album is with Joe Henderson's title track, Inner Urge. The young drummer Yoron Israel, who plays with a unique style that adds precision to the entire album, brings this sneaky modal piece to the fore. Both Hicks and Coryell play in top form.On Tonk, Coryell plays an acoustic guitar, accompanied by only bass and drums. His playing was never better.A fine version of Herbie Handcocks's Dolphin Dance is performed with great delicacy and control. Never overpowering, the piano and guitar create a rich tapestry of sound. The final piece, Harold Land's Terrain, harks the return of the quintet, as the trumpet augments the band. On this one, the solos are played very much like they would have been from the Land's original lineup with Wes Montgomery in the early 1960s. This album is highly recommended for lovers of traditional jazz."
Review Larry Coryell's Inner Urge
John A. Peterson | 03/07/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Excellent CD covering both Jazz and blues styles. The song "Tonk" is what I bought the CD for. I love it."
