Customer Reviews

Quartet

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

 

 

. . . even if they're a generation removed.

Originally billed as the Mark Turner/Ethan Iverson Quartet (the pianist-leader a member of the mega-hyped Bad Plus, and the saxophonist co-leader a young lion of note), this band, according to the liner notes, became the Billy Hart Quartet after a week at New York's Vanguard jazz club.

Which is only fitting. The drummer-leader, with over 300 sideman and seven leader discs under his belt, was the logical choice for top billing. He more than admirably acquits himself on this disc with a plurality of tunes (four) and a deep vibe that could only be his. That his fellow music-makers (Ethan Iverson, piano; Mark Turner, tenor sax; and Ben Street, bass) recognize his leadership only solidifies their standing in the jazz pantheon.

What we've got here is a fairly standard sounding modern jazz quartet. But wait. Isn't there some way weird ur-jazz thing happening? Yes, there is. Far from your ordinary sax-piano-bass-drums date, there's a kind of special mojo at work here, something that only happens when young lions at the top of their game encounter a jazz great, such as Billy Hart.

That players of such renown as Ethan Iverson, Mark Turner, and Ben Street would acquiesce to a jazz warrior of such stature as Billy Hart indicates that egos are set aside so that true jazz greatness may emerge. And emerge it does.

From the opening moments of the initial cut, "Mellow B," a blues by Iverson, to the reconfigured standards "Moment's Notice" and "Confirmation," there's a depth of music-making rarely encountered in this age of instant-gratification jazz.

This is contemporary jazz of the highest accomplishment. Highest recommendation.

This may be one of the finest modern (at least post-1970) jazz albums I've heard. The Quartet plays with great chemistry, and each musician contributes mightily. The whole things sounds like an extended suite, but the music is constantly changing and never monotonous. As you'd probably expect, it's very well recorded and sounds great. Saxophonist Turner's extended note near the start of Track 2 is, shall we say, classic. This is jazz in its purist sense, with little or no rock influence.

J. Dennis is right. A very, modern, moving, excellently played set of music. In a category of its own. It will be best enjoyed by lovers of jazz. Top notch musicians. Long live Billy Hart.

I have no doubt that I'll take considerable heat for this review, but for those who like some - ANY - degree of structure in their jazz, this is NOT the CD for you. I have no doubt that Billy Hart is a great drummer, and that he has surrounded himself with excellent musicians. I have no doubt that, by any standards, this CD pushes the boundaries and definition of creative and "cutting edge." Unfortunately for me (and I know, *I* may be the only one), it also pushes the boundaries of "tolerable." If avant-garde is your thing, you'll love this CD; if it was my thing, I'd give it five stars. But for my taste, I'd rank this among the worst CD's I've ever bought, even rivaling "Steppenwolf Live" that I purchased in 1970 when I was 15 years old. Case in point: The entire head (melody) to Bird's Confirmation is played three times in a row to open the tune. Yep, 64 measures times 3, exactly the same every time. THIS is creative???? I think it's bizarre-for-the-sake-of-bizarre. Call it an aural version of abstract expressionism if you must, the CD equivalent of a 6 ft X 6 ft canvas painted entirely in flourescent lime green: it's different, it's unique, it's never been done before... and after a minute, it bores you. If I had bought this CD at a local record store (and not on-line), I'd have returned it in a New York minute.