Streams Of Expression

Joe Lovano | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 27, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: BLUE NOTE
• ASIN: B000GCFHEG
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,893 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Saxophonist/clarinetist Joe Lovano teamed up with arranger/conductor/educator Gunther Schuller on their 1995 disc, Rush Hour. On this date, Lovano's big and buoyant tenor sound fronts three trios and two Schuller-conducted large ensembles. The five-part title work is a third-stream, free-form shout-out to Lovano's influences, ranging from Eric Dolphy to Ornette Coleman. "Moon Dreams," "Move," and "Boplicity," are three movements from the immortal 1949-50 Miles Davis/Gil Evans Birth of the Cool sessions. Schuller, who played French horn on the original dates, illuminates those selections which his introductions, interludes, endings, and segues. The ebullient "Buckeyes" and "Blue Sketches" and the Ben Webster-dedicated blues "Big Ben," which features Lovano on the aulochrome, a new double-soprano saxophone, are the stand-alone tracks. "We're not just playing parts," Lovano writes in his liner notes, "we are creating music within the orchestration, shaping new arrangements as we go along." --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Product Description

Streams Of Expression by Joe Lovano

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but when's he going to find his metier?, August 16, 2006

By 

Jan P. Dennis "Longboard jazzer" (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Streams Of Expression (Audio CD)

Joe Lovano is undoubtedly one of the premier sax voices of his generation. With Michael Brecker and David Murray, he stands head and shoulders above his peers.

Strangely, however (or maybe not so strangely; one need only look at the late career of, say, Sonny Rollins, to see genius gone awry), he seems to be struggling of late to find his proper MO. His last two quartet albums were certainly enjoyable enough, if not revelatory. Before that, he had a series of highly arranged discs (52nd Street Themes, Celebrating Sinatra, and Viva Caruso) that faltered, failing to present his outrageous chops and brilliant conception optimally. My favorite disc of his of late is Gathering of Spirits, a co-led session with Brecker and Dave Liebman.

This disc, which features many delights and should not be gainsaid, nevertheless continues the problematic trend. It seems to me that Lovano is going through a kind of final-Joe Henderson period, in which the late, great sax giant near the end of his life was subjected to a number of concept sessions that, fine as they were, came across as somewhat artificial--the Brazilian disc, the Miles tribute, the Strayhorn session, the big band date.

That said, the music here rings with huge authenticity and gravitas. Lovano simply rises above any strictures, however artificial, that may be put in his way. A kind of Third-Stream, Re-birth of the Cool date, this disc contains such remarkable arranging and playing that only a curmudgeon or jazz novice would complain. A kind of high point is reached on track ten, "The Fire Prophets," where the leader and altoist Steve Slagle engage in some righteous blowing. And the finale, a tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk, featuring Lovano playing aulochrome, that is, two soprano saxes simultaneously, simply astounds.

I was originally going to give this disc only four stars. After listening to it many times, I believe it deserves a full five. That said, I hope Joe Lovano will eventually find his way to a band/setting that will fully give expression to his brilliance. In the meantime, one could do a lot worse than listening to this always engaging and often exhilarating music.

Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST JAZZ RECORDING OF 21ST CENTURY- 10 STARS, July 24, 2007

By 

Frank J. Battaglia "Old Rip" (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Streams Of Expression (Audio CD)

As the liner notes explain, 9/11 may have put it on hold, but just like our country, the jihadist could not silence this wonderful jazz project designed to honor Miles Davis on his 75th birthday. Commissioned in 2001 by the Monterrey Jazz Festival the three-movement Birth of the Cool Suite arranged by the great Gunther Schuller was finally resurrected and recorded in 2005. And it was well worth the wait. This wonderful tribute music is contained in an expanded Joe Lovano "nonet" cd entitled Streams of Expressions. Lovano "expanded" it in two ways. First, for the BC Suite, Schuller added a flute chair and a clarinet-bass clarinet chair to Lovano's "Nonet". Next, Lovano created the "Lovano Ensemble" for this cd by the additon of the great Tim Hagans on trumpet and George Garzone on tenor.

In the past I have had a "problem" with tribute cds that re-write the original charts. For example Don Sebesky's Tribute to Duke Ellington called Joyful Noise and Bob Mintzer's tribute to Count Basie. Of course both of those cds won a Grammy (and both had John Riley and Dennis Irwin driving great NYC big bands). Once again I am proven wrong. Schuller "rearranging" of Gil Evans' charts is simply wonderful. His voicings on Boplicity will send shivers down your spine. Not only does he add woodwinds as noted above, Schuller's use of Lovano on ALTO clarinet, Slagle on soprano and LaLama on clarinet with Garzone and Smulyan anchoring on tenor and bari respectively provides harmonic sensual textures that will make you play them over and over again (it did it for me). Of course all the solos (everyone gets his chance) are creative and exciting.

Lewis Nash and Dennis Irwin must be `joined at the hip' (actually their musical minds and hearts are joined) by now and their playing here shows it. Solid groove/impeccable swing time! There is one "MOLTO PRESTO" SECTION that is too fast for my metronome to count. During this burning section Gary Smulyan contributes an incredibly creative bari solo--he is the best on that instrument alive today!

The rest of the cd-the "Streams of Expression" part--is intentionally varied with Lovano soloing on alto clarinet and the "double soprano" instrument called an Aulochrome.

Lovano's addition of Tim Hagans (he was in the original Nonet the recorded the 52nd Street cd) is a double bonus. First, Hagans' solos once again prove that he is not only a trumpet virtuoso but also THE master of chromatic improvisation. If that wasn't enough, Hagans contributes the most interesting and challenging composition/arrangement on the cd. This great group of veteran NYC virtuoso jazz musicians executes the Hagans' tune Buckeyes (name doesn't do justice to the music) with apparent ease. Awesome ensemble work.

Add to all of the above a crystal clear recording (best recording to appreciate sax tones of Lovano and Smulyan) and jazz era mixing--and you have a new classic.

Thus I must nominate this cd as the greatest jazz ensemble cd of the 21st Century. And just as the Birth of the Cool has withstood the test of time, so will Streams of Expression.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a tribute of love, May 22, 2007

By 

Case Quarter (CT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Streams Of Expression (Audio CD)

lovano's move doesn't sound much different from the gil evans/miles davis move. my favorite move is by charlie parker, and hearing parker on alto is different from hearing a large group performing the piece. but that's a preference, not a judgment. i've always loved archie shepp's versions of granchan monchur's frankenstein and sonny's back. recently i heard the same tunes recorded by granchan moncur's octet, and i had to step back...not the same as with shepp's tenor, but a matter of preference. and then there's coltrane's a love supreme recorded by marsalis leading a big band. acceptance is the key, someone once told me. listening to the recording yesterday, on the fire prophets i realized that lovano had taken improvisational pieces that sanders, shepp, ayler and coltrane, might had played and arranged them for a large group, his nonet.

he attributes the inspiration for big ben to ben webster and rahsaan roland kirk, but the tone i'm hearing is closer to ornette coleman.

ultimately this is one man's, joe lovano's, tribute of love for jazz and the artists who came before him.