Modern bass master's retrospective album up with the best
Ian Muldoon | Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia | 02/04/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Recipe for musical excellence: judicious balance of two musicians steeped in the history of the music-Mr Hart and Mr Drummond- with two younger musicians establishing themselves as masters in their own right - Mr Scott and Mr Handy; add a variety of contexts - different meters, solo, duo, trio, and quartet; add a range of compositions, standards - Ann Ronnell's Willow Weep for Me, Traditional - Goin' Home (a brilliant highlight for Mr Handy's tenor reminding one of Mr Shepp's version),Originals eg - Oh Jay (which really cooks) by Mr Drummond, and you have it. Highlights for me include Ballad Poetique an impressive impressionistic tone poem in the form of a free improvisation; a stunning piano solo by Mr Scott on Driftin'; and Craig Handy's tenor on Oh Jay reminiscent of Mr Coltrane but his own sound. Naturally, the bass is mixed forward and given prominence but it is not obtrusive in terms of the other players - yet I found it a little "hard" cf the opening track Ana Maria by Wayne Shorter. In this regard, I prefer a "woodier" sound, just personal taste I guess. Yet on other tracks, say on the solo track Prelude to a Kiss, I didn't notice this "hardness'. The leader, Mr Drummond considers this a retrospective of his distinguished career which includes appearances on over 300 discs. It may be the bass in jazz has been given a new lease of life with the birth of the CD - no more tracking problems. Recording standards seem very high now and some wonderful music has been released by bassists, Haden, Peacock, Andy McKee (Sound Roots a must have), Ben Allison, Dave Holland, etc. Mr Drummond's album 1-2-3-4 is up there with them."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1