Customer Reviews

Dangerous Vision

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Michael Wolff strikes me as almost criminally underregarded. I mean, what does he have to do to get the recognition he deserves?

I'm thinking Dangerous Visions, his sixth or seventh disc as leader and third with his band, Impure Thoughts (sans Alex Foster, who, great a player as he is, isn't particularly missed here), will change all that. Basically a piano trio, augmented by the tablas of the great Badal Roy, Dangerous Visions presents Michael Wolff in an ideal setting. In the trio format, we get to hear pure Wolff, the leader freed up to present his mesmeric piano conceptions unsullied by windwood intrusion. We also get to hear his idiosyncratic (and generally brilliant) take on some of the most hoary and revered jazz standards, namely, "Work Song," "A Love Supreme," and "St. Thomas." Anyone who references that triumvirate of jazz gods (Adderly, Trane, and Rollins) either better have his stuff majorly together or forget coming out for the next round. Believe me, Wolff has his stuff together.

If Wolff is a shade too busy, we can forgive him by virtue of the boundless energy, rhythmic drive, and sheer chutzpah incessantly issuing forth from the speakers. I guess I'm particularly taken by his manic Vince Guaraldi-ish rendering of Sonny's "St. Thomas," playfully deconstructed and put back together by staggeringly brilliant Wolffian pianist moves thoroughly supported by his entirely simpatico band. Really, this is one for the ages.

I'm in love with this latest disc from Michael Wolff, which proves that if you've got the right stuff and stay in the game long enough, it'll all come together for ya.

From the get-go this recording impressed me. This is one of the best working units in jazz today. The last few recordings by Michael with this group have been outstanding but this is the one I keep coming back to.

Why? He covers a wide selection of compositions and styles. His ability to take contemporary pieces from other genre's and transform them into vehicles for improvisation is amazing. His playing style is clearly his own, but were I to offer an analogy for his style I would say that he has the funkiness of Horace Silver, the percussiveness and conceptions of Ahmad Jamal, with the sophistication of Herbie Hancock.

The guy can out and out play his behind off. Now realize, he doesn't let technique run away with him. It's just he maximizes on these pieces and has a unique vision of them. Just listen to "A Love Supreme", "St. Thomas" and Cal Tjader's "Soul Sauce".

There are also some originals as well that are excellent. "Empty House" and "Rupak", for example are two pieces that real high points.

"Empty House" so effectively engages you and conveys a strong, cool but expansive midnight vibe. "Rupak" comes across strong and primal, with Michael making good use of the lower registers. On both, he establishes the mood and improvises with discretion and expansiveness.

John B. Williams and Badal Roy are ESSENTIAL in this recording. John makes that bass sing. He provides a real undercurrent. The pieces wouldn't be what they are with out him. Badal is amazing. The tablas and his impeccable sense of time gives everything a unique feeling.

Mike Clark, who you might remember from his Herbie Hancock days is also in excellent form here. He's up to anything they play here. He pushes things along quite nicely. On the slower pieces he exhibits very nice cymbal technique.

You know there are alot of pianists out there bringing in the new era of jazz and it's related form. The world should sit up and take notice of this original and inventive talented pianist and conceptualist.

I purchased "Dangerous Vision" and "Intoxicate" together.
They are both superb musically and well recorded(audiophile
quality).Both are best cds I have purchased in 2007.

Dr. Paul Sheehy aka Justjazz