Michael Feinberg (bs); Billy Hart (dms); George Garzone (saxes); Tim Hagans (tpt); Leo Genovese (keys); Alex Wintz (gtr).
(Review by Lance).
(Review by Lance).
The Elvin Jones Project, not surprisingly, is a tribute to the late Elvin Jones by bassist/composer Michael Feinberg who concentrates on the musical relationships Jones formed with various bass players.
Given that Jones operated very close to the outside this disc hovers in the hinterlands between madness and sanity. I'm pleased to say the latter, more or less, prevails.
Billy Hart substitutes most effectively for Elvin - Hart is a great drummer in his own right - and Feinberg was happy with the choice. "He can bang the shit out of a drum."
It's an emotional disc full of passion and excitement as well as deep listening moments. The only thing this disc isn't is boring!
Trumpet and tenor have some great moments and guest guitarist Wintz shines on Frank Foster's The Unknighted Nations. Hagens suggests how.Clifford Brown may have sounded had he been alive today.
Nancy (With the laughing face) sees the leader playing arco bass on the melody before Genovese opens it up. The keyboard man has his way with Nancy before handing her back to Feinberg. Nancy, on Coltrane's ballad album with Jones on drums, was a classic rendition. I'd venture the opinion that this one is too. Given her parentage, Nancy deserved nothing but the best and she got it from her dad, from Coltrane and Elvin, and she certainly got it here.
Feinberg tours stateside in September but, sadly, not UK.
Check out www.michaelfeinbergmusic.com/
Michael Feinberg THE ELVIN JONES PROJECT is available on Sunnyside Records.
Lance.



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