Customer Reviews

Jazzpar Quartet + 4

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This CD with saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Thomas Ovesen and drummer Terry Clarke and Jim Hall, the winner of the 1998 Jazzpar Prize was recorded live in Copenhagen in April 1998 as part of the Jazzpar prize project and this has been one hard CD to find. It features Chris Potter who is still playing with Jim Hall 13 years later and will hopefully record much more with him in future.

JAZZPAR Quartet + 4 also features The Zaploski String Quartet on several tracks including Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze," which may seem an odd choice until you think about it. At first glance you might think Purple Haze is some forgotten Ellington tune but no, it's the seminal 60's love song with it's famous "Hendrix Chord" (E7 #9), a chord he borrowed from jazz and is now common in rock. Hendrix also features the "tritone" on Purple Haze, which is a very angular almost dissonant sounding triad of notes that also features prominently in the playing of Jim Hall over the decades. Both Hendrix (J.H.) and Hall (J.H.) were/are restless innovators so this alone is probably worth the price of admission for many. In the end we finally do get some Ellington with "In A Sentimental Mood", a sublime duet with Hall and Chris Potter.

Tracks:

1. Stella by Starlight
2. Chelsea Bridge
3. Mr. Blues
4. Thesis
5. Quartet + 4
6. Purple Haze
7. In a Sentimental Mood