Customer Reviews

Steal Away: Spirituals Hymns & Folk Songs

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At first sight,no,at the first audition,this record may seem to contain some easy-to-listen-to kind of music.But it's a mistake.
This meeting between the old pal of Ornette Coleman,Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell,leader of the rare but exceptionnal "Liberation Music Orchestra",lover of all kinds of folk music,wether it's blues,gospel,south american music or wherever in the world,the great Charlie Haden,and the greatest jazz piano player still alive,child of Fats Waller,Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum (his main influences),member of one of the most revered families of jazz musicians (his brothers are Thad and Elvin Jones),born 1918 and still handsome and active in music,the amazing Hank Jones,this meeting is one of the most important things that happened in the jazz history in the past ten years.
This exceptionnal album was recorded June 29 and 30,1994.The repertoire is mostly made of gospel tunes,except the traditionnal "Danny boy",aka "Londonderry air",and a canadian song from Quebec,written in the 18th century,"L'amour de moy" ("my love").
You've got to deserve this record.It seems so simple to listen to at the first audition;but it will give you its incredible beauties only after two or more playings.Hank Jones' playing seems to be very simple,but his incredible work on harmonies is the mark of the greatest players.Each tune is a jewel.The final track,"hymn medley" is a rare moment of perfection.The first tune of this medley,"abide with me",was written by a certain William H.Monk,and recorded by...Thelonious Monk,with John Coltrane,Coleman Hawkins,Gigi Gryce and Ray Copeland on "Monk's music"(Riverside)."what a friend we have in Jesus" is played in a very nostalgic,even melancholic way by Hank Jones;only a supreme piano player could play that way,so simply,so directly."Amazing grace",a very emotionnal song,close this album magnificently.
If you love piano players who like to use of technical effects (I won't give any name,you have to make your choice,but please note that I DON'T THINK OF ART TATUM,who is ,to me,the greatest piano player of all times),you may have some troubles to discover the amazing treasures of this music.But if you love guys who plays a few notes to say a lot of things (Monk,Duke,Wilson,Basie...),you'll sure consider this session as an essential masterpiece.

The cover of this cd is graced with a photograph from the great American photographer Walker Evans. Nothing could be more fitting. Evans' shots capture the bare bones of the South,all veneer stripped away. The simple becomes achingly beautiful. The commonplace becomes universal.
Such is the case with this cd. The remarkably versatile and eclectic Charlie Haden teams up with of those famous Jones brothers, Hank, for a bass-piano performance that defines simplicity, soulfulness,and spirituality.
From "Go Down, Moses" to "We Shall Overcome" to the (surprisingly included) "Danny Boy", these songs speak of the soul and to the soul. Haden and Jones clearly have great respect for each other and for this music. Both voyage away from and back to the melody lines, but the familiarity and simplicity of the arrangements soothes and comforts both mind and spirit.
I'm always surprised when a cd such as this gets made. Haden must have some juice with those music moguls because this is as non-commercial as music gets.
Think of this as a companion piece to Cyrus Chestnut's Blessed Quietness or even Springsteen's Nebraska. When all the tricks and glitter get stripped away, usually one finds the truth.

I have been a long time fan of Charlie Haden and Hank Jones, each of whom I encountered in a rather different context. That seems fitting. These artists are musicians, not stylists. They react to and play the music on its own terms. I have given about six copies of this recording to close friends and every one has come to me with praise for the set. One friend played the disc at a school assembly and had a half dozen people come up to him and ask for the name of the recording.

Make no mistake; this is not dance music. This is poetry, the thoughtful kind.

You may think that spirituals don't appeal to you, or that hymns aren't your kind of music. No matter. Jones and Haden present the material in such a moving and heartfelt way that this record will speak to you.

Hank Jones on piano and Charlie Haden on bass take a journey through the last few hundred years of the music of the common man (and woman). Stripped of fancy finish and shiny veneer, these spirituals, hymns and folk songs are revealed in all their sublime natural glory.

Gospel, jazz and blues harmonies, applied with the confidence of a master's touch, highlight the homespun melodies in a way that's humble and pure. Imagine suddenly stumbling across a piece of driftwood that takes your breath away with its earthy beauty, or finding an agate that releases a small, blazing rainbow of colors in your hand. This music is just such a found treasure.

I'm a long time fan of jazz music, a Lutheran minister and anamateur bassist. That put this album right in the middle of myinterests. I was absolutely blown away by this recording! This is spiritual music of the highest order! It inspired me to work up some hymns with a friend. I'm no Charlie Haden, and he ain't Hank Jones, but these guys sure turned us on! This is GREAT STUFF!

The other reviewers are spot-on exact about the loveliness of this music. I shall only add that I gave my copy away about 6 months ago but am only now replacing it -- the tunes are finally sounding a little worn and faded when I play them in my memory. This music accompanies YOU after a while. It is a quiet conversation with a much beloved friend, a silk scarf against the wind, a warm bowl of good soup on a damp chilly day. Enjoy.

If there is a more perfect album for relaxing or quiet time- I don't know what it is. These songs are played simply and with heart. I have bought ten to fifteen copies of this album over the past twelve years- it's just that good.

You can put it on for reading the Bible, praying or for peaceful music at dinnertime. It can be in the background or turned up without giving offense to those normally allergic to jazz. It's literally the spiritual version of Kind of Blue. I've even given it to new parents because it's just peaceful.

This fine recording takes the piano/bass duet to it's highest level. Unpretentious, highly-skilled playing brings out the essence of the simple beautiful music. It plays with your emotions on many levels, often evoking deep feelings. The effect is enhanced by the excellent recording and audio quality. You'll listen to it again and again.

I heard a short bit of this CD on the radio, and ordered the CD just afterwards. This is my second order- I am getting five copies for friends.
I think this is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard, regardless of genre. It is timeless, lovely, graceful, and profound. It shares with other great recordings I've heard the paradox of being technically rather simple and emotionally extraordinarily complex. You do not need to be a jazz buff to like it, or appreciate it; it is direct and powerful.
If, when I die, I hear music like this, I will know I was good enough on earth to go to heaven.