Customer Reviews

Orthodoxy

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As a jazz fan in my 20's I appreciate finding a jazz artist who is obviously rooted in the jazz tradition, but also has a grip on the music of the current generation - such as hip-hop and so on. For anyone who can listen to Miles Davis, Tribe Called Quest, and Medeski Martin and Wood all in the same day, this CD is for you. Ellman's guitar style is reminiscent of Pat Martino and Grant Green, but only maybe in tone and timing. His lines are fresh and interesting, truly something his own. The tracks on Orthodoxy offer something for every jazz fan, from the groove oriented, turtable laced "Translator" to the soulful Coltraneish title cut, "Orthodoxy". My personal favorite is the closing piece - a beautiful duet rendition of Billy Strayhorn's "Blood Count" with Ellman playing subtly accompained by pianist Vijay Iyer. In a time when too many jazz artists are relying on retro antics and samey melodies, Liberty Ellman is a promising addition to the jazz music community.

K. Chumley- San Francisco

I bought this CD because of Ellman's work on Vijay Iyer's great disc, "Archtectures". I am always looking for good jazz guitar players. I have found one but, oh, so much more at the same time.
Liberty seems to be part of a group of youngish musicians that include Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Eric Crystal, Brad Hargreaves and K. Ellington Mingus that play on each other's projects. What is so impressive about this to me is that on all the projects that I have heard so far the emphasis is on the compositions and the group interplay rather than on strutting their own particular (and formidable) stuff. These guys can play but subsume that to the creation of a larger musical vision. I hope that makes sense.
On this album, Liberty is joined by Iyer on the piano, Crystal on saxophones, Mingus on the bass, and Hargreaves on the drums. He also is joined by Hillel Familant on the bass, Rahsaan Fredricks on the electric bass, DJ Pause on turntables, Babou Sagna on the djembe and E.W. Wainwright on the drums.
Part of what struck me immediately with this disc is that the guitar does not dominate the sound. You are as likely to hear Ijay's wonderful piano playing or Crystal's thorny tenor. Ellman the band leader and composer is predominant. When he does play, Ellman sounds like no one else I know on guitar. The previous reviewer mentions that his tone is somewhat like Martino's or Green's. Very true: he also reminds me of early Benson. His soloing is something else though. I think he listens to horn players more than other guitarists. Or maybe to pianists like Tyner or early Cowell. Or maybe he listens to his buddies and they to him and we are we and we are all together. Sorry. Every once in a while I slip back into the sixties.
I mean that part about the buddies though. Play this disc on the spiral function on your CD player with the above mentioned one of Iyer's and Mahanthappa's disc and you will hear that they are a community on an endeavor. These guys obviously stimulate each other's creative processes. Musically they set challenges for each other and work out group solutions in their work. Strong music. Red Giant is to be congratulated for bringing us their work. My only complaint is that this disc is dated 1997. Mr. Ellman- I would like to have some more, please.
I will end this ramble with a quote from Mr. Ellman's notes:
"I can listen to my favorite records over and over again, and always find something new to appreciate in them. Beyond the simple pleasures (which are never to be taken for granted), these recordings offer volumes of priceless information - examples of ingenuity, creativity, leadership, lessons in simplicity, reflections on the human condition, proof of the value of an individual's contribution to a larger community, possibly some sonic codes regarding divine intervention, not to mention a lifetime of technical studies." People- I set to you the challenge of finding a better stance to take toward the traditions or the communities of which you are a part. I also state that Mr. Ellman's CD is as good at living out the above philosophy as any in recent years.