Customer Reviews

Letter to Herbie (Dig)

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John Beasley has been a mainstay on the west coast for many years.
A first call pianist/keyboardist, "Beas" as he's affectionately known, has been one of the best kept secrets in jazz. This collection features some Herbie Hancock staples and a few originals that John composed with a Hancockish slant. The result is an extremely impressive recording that satisfies from end to end. The rhythmn section is two of the most important players in the last 20 years - Christian McBride and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Watts and McBride provide a sonic/symbiotic palette for Beasley to cruise on. My favorite is "4AM", the fusion masterpiece originally recorded by Herbie, Jaco Pastorius and Harvey Mason on the "Mr. Hands" album. Beasley, McBride and Watts immediately turn on the pots and get to smokin'! The temptation is to give commmentary on every track, but if you purchase this cd, you will get an immediate insight into what's happen in jazz at this moment. Another treat is trumpeter Roy Hargrove. His tone is promethean and heroic in it's weighty bravura. He sounds like the master we knew would come forward twenty years ago. Hargrove, without question, is one of the best trumpters under the age of 40.He more than shows it on this set.

5 Solid Stars !

Keep filling the gaps Beas' !

Skip Norris
Jazz Artistic Director
The Music Hall for the Performing Arts Center
Detroit, Michigan

I came to own this disk not through my love for Herbie Hancock, even though Herbie is my favorite jazz pianist and one of my top fav composers.

Instead, I found out about John Beasley based on a track he composed and played on for a Steely Dan Tribute album ("Remember" on Maestros of Cool.) Beasley's tune was every bit a Steely Dan, circa "Aja" tune. Clearly, this man can get inside and re-create some very complex music. This was music knowledge and intelligence of the highest order on display.

So, I searched for Beasley disks and found "Positootly!" and "Letter to Herbie." I received both as Xmas gifts (thanks!), read the liner notes to both and listened to Positootly! first. In doing so, I heard Beasley's "natural" style doing his own thing. Suffice to say, there is a huge amount of Herbie influence manifest in his playing.

Then, I listened to Letter to Herbie and it blew me away. Many tribute albums are just a collection of covers done by one artist that likes another. Little effort is put into serious interpretation. Often, the "tribute" turns into "trashing" when the artist paying tribute slathers the music with too much of his/her own style and fails to have the "chops" to match the original.

Not so with "Letter to Herbie."

Each tune is clearly the result of very careful analysis of Herbie's music and inventive architecture of a new approach. The architecture is executed wonderfully by all and not the least Beasley himself.

It isn't surprising that McBride, Watts and especially Hargrove (he's always been in the warm and powerful Freddy Hubbard zone) are great to listen to. But it is very much surprising to listen to Beasley, compare each note he plays with an impression of Herbie's playing and never, I mean never, get the sense that full tribute isn't being paid. Another, similar performance that comes to mind is Chick Corea's tribute to Bud Powell (Remembering Bud.)

What I hear in Beasley's playing is the clear, strong, central influence of Herbie that is the taking off point for a huge amount of Beasley conception and technique. To my ears, Beasley adds a significant amount of McCoy Tyner precision and speed to the mix. (I mean, how great is that?!)

It's as simple as this: if you like Herbie Hancock, you need to buy this disk. A more sincere, intelligent, thoughtful and well executed tribute I simply cannot imagine. At a minimum, you'll attend a master class in Hancock Theory and Interpretation. Most probably, you'll add these tunes to your Herbie playlist, which would be a fitting tribute to Beasley.