Customer Reviews

Jazz Poet

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is Tommy Flanagan at his best. I have a japanese edition, as unfortunately it seems it not being sold in the US anymore. Tommy plays with George (Jiri) Mraz, the solid czech bass, and Kenny Washington on drums.

It is a selection of standards that you've heard million times, but Flanagan makes them sound fresh. He does it in an understated manner: no flamboyant displays, no funky re-harmonizing, just very melodic solo-ing. His solo lines are so melodic they sound effortless. It is as if he is playing another melody on the chords, as they are constructed on the whole chart, not just a few bars.

I particularly enjoyed Willow Weep for Me, or St Louis Blues. The only reason I gave the cd only 4 stars is because I am a little bothered by the last song. If the first 9 are jazz poetry, the last one veers into sappy romance, and sounds like easy listening stuff. Once it gets into the solo, it gets into a groove, but I don't enjoy the head.

This CD is so slick your ears may slide right off of it the first time through, but you'll certainly agree that the music is beautiful even if only as something to play in the background. But if you listen again you'll start to hear something else -- that what sounds like slickness is really polish, a shine like the shine on still water, and like still water the music is deep deep deep. Tommy's trios were some of the best rehersed, most tuned-in small groups to ever record and the more attention you pay the more amazed you'll be. This is a record you're going to like more every time you play it.

True the art of understatement and deep melodic, rhythmical and harmonic feeling, Flanagan and his great international trio go through some very well known songs (including the good old Caravan and St. Louis Blues), giving them a fresh treatment, based on various streams in modern and mainstream jazz, all on Flanagans fingertips.

George Mraz and Kenny Washington contribute their subtle licks as well, in tune with Flanagan's concept.

Beautifull.

The late,great Tommy Flanagan,who played on Coltrane's Giant Steps and served as Ella Fitzgerald's musical director plays standards here with his signature-understated touch.My edition of this cd kicks off with 'Caravan'-and this cd is worth buying

for that,alone.