It's only January 3 and already I have a contender for Album of the Year! Judging by the applause from the crowd at that most iconic of NYC venues, Dizzy's Club*, I guess they would also agree.
Dedicated to two legendary jazz giants, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner, with whom bassist/leader Cannon played alongside for some 14 years, this is twenty-first century hard bop played by living legends.
The cards are dealt on track one, Jones' composition EJ's Blues. The shot and shell hits the listener like a blast from a sawed-off shotgun at close range. Everyone has a blistering solo all of which left me reeling! I had an adrenaline rush. My adrenaline was the equivalent of about 9.9 on the Richter Scale. Fortunately I survived enough to calm down thanks to Cannon's own composition Three Elders. Nice muted trumpet from Henderson.
3 Card Molly, another Elvin composition, raises the temperature once more. We are given no indication as to who Molly was or is but I guess she was no shrinking violet. Cannon is tasty on bass.
Search For Peace, little did Tyner know how relevant this title would be today. Nice work from Henderson and Lovano.
From now on all the compositions are by McCoy and Blues in the Minor is another that, after Kikoski's extended intro, has Lovano, Irby and White kickin' ass.
Home. Turre takes the spotlight on this one, a relatively gentle Latin groove, with Irby also chipping in with some nice phrases and Kikoski paying credit, in his own way, to the composer.
Contemporary Focus, the penultimate track and Lovano wails like a jazz banshee (compliment), Turre is more restrained although not much, followed by Irby. After Henderson and Cannon have a short exchange and Kikoski makes his bid I stand by my earlier statement that this one is going to be up there circa next NYE.
Inception. A beautiful, swinging, romp by the trio.
They're all racing for second place now! Lance
Release date January 19 on Woodneck Records.
*On January 24 two of the UK's greatest are appearing at Dizzy's - vocalist Jo Harrop and pianist Paul Edis (see right hand column).
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