Customer Reviews

Cracklin

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Quite simply, this is one of the all-time-great 60's jazz albums!Until recently, it was an expensive Japanese vinyl import but now its generally available on CD. The classic modal tune'Dorian' is one of those tracks which is so good that you think you must have heard it before - but you havent! Booker Ervin is at his peak on this album, which is as good as the best albums on Blue Note. Dont hesitate - buy! No collection is complete without it!

Throughout his 45 year long career Roy Haynes has played with almost every major artist, and excelled as he played almost every style of jazz. He is one of the rare artists who, while largely underrated, is a legend and an active influence to this day. Fans of Haynes are dedicated, and this cd offers them a rare session from the early 60's featuring him as a leader. The Drummer is backed on this cd by the passionate, bluessoaked tenor of Booker Ervin, Ronnie Mathews on piano, and Larry Ridley on bass. Ervin is a like a force of nature, churning and wailing on "Scoochie" while soft and soothing on "Sketch of Melba". His backround in the blues lifts "Honeydew" and "Bad News Blues". The entire quartet shines on one of the cd's highlights, a modal piece named "Dorian". Haynes' drumming is top shelf, really shining on the track "Under Paris Skys". Mathews and Ridley are solid in support but Ervin and Haynes are the show for this disc. Fans of both men will enjoy this set of straight ahead blues based hard bop, and should check it out.

Except for Roy Haynes' incredible drumming, not much is really noticeable or outstanding in this CD. Of course Booker Ervin is always up there and solid, but not much in terms of ideas and/or emotion.
The whole thing seemed to me at best pretty flat and at worse pretty boring.