Customer Reviews

Flight Path

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"Sphere".The name of this groups refers to the great Thelonious Sphere Monk.Two of the musicians of this quartet happened to be Monk's musicians for many years: tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse (1924-1988) and drummer Ben Riley.The great Kenny Barron on piano and Buster Williams on bass complete the group.Sphere was created at the beginning of 1982,and the first record of the group,"four in one",also produced by Elektra Musician,was incredibly recorded on February 17,1982;it was entirely dedicated to Monk's music,and on the same day,Thelonious Monk died.This is the second record of the quartet,and 19 years have passed since this session appeared on LP.Jazz lovers have to be patient.On this record,the quartet plays a magnificent version of a seldom played standard,"if I should lose you" (remember Hank Mobley's version on his "soul station" Blue Note album ?)."Pumpkin's delight" is a Charlie Rouse original."Played twice" is a terrific composition by Thelonious Monk,a very difficult piece."Christina" is a beautiful ballad by Buster Williams,dedicated to his niece.Finally,"El sueno" and "flight path" are Kenny Barron's works.Ben Riley's drumming is close to perfection all through the session.And Rouse,definitely,is one of the most original tenor sax players of all times.This is truly one of the very great records of the eighties,and if you like Monk's universe,you'll be at home listening to this music.

This album is one of my all-time favorite jazz records, and it's never had a U.S. release on CD. Just this year this disc and the also-excellent first Sphere album "Four in One" were relased in Europe.

Both albums are fitting tributes to Monk, with the great Kenny Barron sitting in his spot and joining two longtime Monk alums, Charlie Rouse and Ben Riley, with Buster Williams on bass.

The albums are full of marvelous music and are spectacularly well-recorded. If you're a vinyl user, seek out these records in that format...otherwise, enjoy these CDs!

This a fantastic album that has never received the attention or acclaim it deserved. There's nothing fancy about it, none of the musicians is a superstar. But if you like traditional, straight ahead, no nonsense jazz, this is the album for you. From the haunting opening notes of the first cut ("If I Should Lose You") to the hard bop feel of Charlie Rouse's "Pumpkin's Delight" and Kenny Barron's "Flight Path", to the gentle lyricism of Buster Williams' "Christina", there's something for every jazz fan on this disc. The price is high, because it's currently available only as an import, but it's worth the cost.

I have searched for this album/CD for over 20 years. I was told it was out of print by my local music store (Electric Fetus). I searched used record stores in Minneapolis & St. Paul hoping to find a disgarded copy with no luck. Fortunately, I looked up the recording on Amazon.com with only the title of the cut "If I Should Lose You" & found the CD "Flight Path". I never knew the name of the album only the personnel on the CD. Sphere is the name of the group (named for Thelonious Sphere Monk) personnel includes Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Ben Riley, & Charlie Rouse. After I first heard the above-mentioned cut, I cried, that's how haunting Charlie Rouse's sax affected me. I've heard several renditions of "If I Should Lose You", but, in my opinion, none compare to Sphere's. Of course Barron, Williams, & Riley are superb muscians in their own right without saying. I suggest you give this CD a listen. Kenny Barron's touch on the keyboards is so beautiful & melodic, Buster Williams' bass playing is outstanding & soulful, & Ben Riley holds it all together with his timing & tasty licks. I can't give this CD enough praise, all of the tunes on this CD are excellent & include original compositions by the above-named muscians with the exception of "If I Should Lose You". I can't express enough my joy that I found this CD on Amazon.

I bought this wonderful session on vinyl way back when, my introduction to Kenny Barron. I've followed his career closely ever since.
Of course, all the players are tremendous. The cohesion and musical empathy demonstrated by these stellar bandmates are an object lesson for all musicians, regardless of genre. This ain't no blowing session.
Taste + Soul = sublimity. . .

A very fine quartet session that gives fans an opportunity to hear the criminally-underrated Charlie Rouse doing lovely work on mostly NON-Monk material. Rouse really has to rate as one of my favorite tenor players, right up there with other overlooked greats like Hank Mobley and Benny Golson, not only for appearing on so many essential Monk records, but for having that uniquely identifiable puckery sound. Check out Rouse, as well, on the Mal Waldron sets from the Village Vanguard in the late 1980s. Sphere's Flight Path sounds like it could have been recorded in 1962, not 1982. In light of the awful state of jazz by the early 1980s, that's high praise indeed.