Customer Reviews

Streams Of Expression

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

For many Miles Davis' 'Birth of the Cool' is a defining, desert-island favorite. Recorded during three sessions, two in 1949 and one in early '50, this record not only stands as one of the most auspicious debuts as a leader, it served as the template for what would become known as 'cool jazz,' a comparatively understated approach which flourished on the West Coast in the '50's as a stylistic contrast to the more fervent bop-infused styles which dominated the East Coast scene.

On French horn in Davis' nonet for that third session was Gunther Schuller, who has since gone on to earn acclaim as a composer and arranger, while also becoming one of the figures most associated with 'third stream' jazz (he coined the term) -- an extension of the cool style which also incorporates elements of classical music.

Consequently, when saxophonist Joe Lovano was commissioned to explore the music of this seminal recording, Schuller was an enlightened and obvious choice.

The ensuing 'Streams of Expression,' recently released on Blue Note, features Schuller's 'The Birth of the Cool Suite' as its centerpiece, both figuratively and literally as it is bookended by Lovano's own five-part suite 'Streams of Expression.'

Utilizing instrumentation that varies slightly from Davis', Schuller pays meticulous attention to detail as he integrates specific elements from the original performances and Gil Evans' legendary arrangements into a trio of tunes -- 'Moon Dreams,' 'Move' and 'Boplicity' -- from the original album.

Tying these together with his own 'Prelude,' 'Postlude' and two 'Interludes,' Schuller describes in the liner notes how he recast this small part of the genre's Holy Grail.

Fortunately, what reads as though it could have been an over-academic exercise in dissection, it captures and evokes the interplay and spirit which have made the original 'Birth' an enduring, timeless classic of modern jazz.

Lovano's 'Streams' is also particularly effective, with the initial two movements that precede Schuller's 'Suite' sounding as though they are companion pieces.

Subsequent sections find him paying homage to a wide-range of influences, from Eric Dolphy and Charles Mingus on the alto clarinet feature 'Enchantment- Part III,' presented in a trio setting, to Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter and Sonny Rollins on 'Second Nature- Part IV.'

The disc is rounded out with three additional trio performances -- a group format that Lovano has explored to great effect on previous discs. Of these, 'Big Ben,' as well as the final part of the 'Streams' suite both feature Lovano playing the Aulochrome, a custom-made instrument that resembles two soprano saxophones joined together. Configured such that the keys on each can be played either together or separately, the instrument lends an intriguing new dimension to Lovano's already vast sonic palette.

Well, since other jazz-fans (mr. Dennis, mr. Chell, mr. Lampereta...) have already given quite elaborate and diverse arguments in favor of this intriguing album (plus some sophisticated counterarguments as well), I will only add a small voice in their favor and another five stars to match it...

Cool and third-streamish jazz is not really my thing, but this is such a great collection of diverse, beautifully performed and arranged music that I'm left really impressed. Naturally, Lovano shines through like a real jazz-giant he obviously is.

All of the critical commotion that this recording created may paradoxically have been injurious to its popularity with jazz followers. It's no "Birth of the Cool" or "Miles Ahead," but "Streams of Expression," in addition to its artful arrangements, is perhaps the most accessible and agreeable project to date by the first saxophonist since Coltrane and Rollins, Dexter and Getz, to achieve a truly original, instantly identifiable voice on the instrument. He combines the sound of Ben Webster and Sonny Rollins in a way that is almost "speech-like." It took me a while to give Lovano's sound its due (often the notes are so clipped and unsustained that pitch recognition is difficult), but I finally realized how effectively it represented an amalgamation of past traditions along with a valid modern form of expression. There are lots of merely "good," even "bad" (as in "really" good), players out there; few, however, are actually original, despite some extravagant self-proclamations.

Lovano is in charge of the proceedings throughout, even though there are numerous other stand-out soloists, some ideally presented for the short-attention-span listener (e.g. the 2nd movement features a cavalcade of 4-bar solos, including Lovano's). The "Birth of the Cool Suite" presents this classic session in modern fidelity that may lead some listeners to prefer it to the Miles Davis-Gil Evans original. Finally, Lovano covers all styles, including a multi-timbral gizmo that makes him sound like Roland Kirk.

In short, the best Lovano recording to date.