Customer Reviews

With the Tenors of Our Time

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though this album features jazz saxophonists Branford Marsalis, Stanley Turrentine, Joshua Redman, Joe Henderson, Ron Blake and Johnny Griffin, it's the craft of Hargrove's horn playing that truly makes this album work so well. The addition of these quality saxophonists only heightens the experience one has come to expect from a Roy Hargrove album. Moving from one piece to the other is silky, and the CD offers that "in-the-club" feel that doesn't always get translated in album performances. After having played the album numerous times, I still get a thrill from listening to it. "Shade of Jade" and "Soppin' the Biscuit" with their distinctive jazz combo feel contrast very well with "Across the Pond," and "When We Were One," which will make you want to slow dance with a partner. And the album is upbeat, though humble in its own way; the musicians are never brash or overbearing, but sonorous and musically aware of each other. "Once Forgotten" has become one of my favorites on this album for just that reason -- it blends the tone qualities of the instruments so well, that one rarely if ever gets the impression one musician is trying to outdo another or take the spotlight. In that respect this album is more than gracious, a pleasure for the ears and soul, attracting me to it each time I look at my CD rack.

This is clearly Roy Hargrove's best effort so far. The playing is exquisite and intense at the same time, the guest appearances very effective, "Valse Hot" with Branford Marsalis being my personal favorite (even though normally I don't like his playing very much). A special mention goes to the drummer Gregory Hutchinson, who too seldomly gets to play good stuff like this to show what he is worth (a whole lot). The quintet's tenor sax player Ron Blake holds his own, too, among these other illustrious tenors.

A few years ago, I became a very big fan of the jazz genre' and this CD was the main reason. This CD was one of the first jazz CD's that I purchased and although it is a few years old I still listen to it daily. Roy Hargrove is one of, if not the best young jazz artist out there today, and this album proves it. This CD is one of the best jazz CD's of the 90's. Roy Hargrove definitely has skills, and you need to check out this great CD.

On a friend's recommendation, I saw Roy Hargrove at The Mercury a year or two ago. What an awesome show! Unfortunately, I never picked up any of his CD's -- until this fall. I can't believe I went this long without it. "With the Tenors of Our Time" refers to the various tenor saxophonists Hargrove plays with on the different songs. The guitar is minimal, if there is any. (I'm not a fan of jazz guitar, for the most part.) Just Hargrove's trumpet, tenor sax(es), and piano, acoustic bass, & drums. EXCELLENT!

This CD has everything you can ask for from a young jazz player, and Roy Hargrove's hype is well deserved. The opening track is brilliant, and the whole recording has the tonal depth and range that you rarely find in so young a player. This is the one that sold me on Hargrove, and I've enjoyed everything else he's recorded.

Roy Hargrove is one of the up and coming jazz superstars.This recording is beautiful,sooothing music for the soul.I first discovered this C.D. browsing in a book store.I enquired about the artist and purchased this recording.What a great buy,If you need a C.D. to chill to, or music for that quality time with your significant other.Don't look any further,Enjoy.

... and the concept is a good one, to showcase the exciting young tenor saxophonists of Roy Hargrove's jazz generation while complementing Hargrove's own technically superb but affectively staid performance. In other words, all those tenors make Hargrove sound damn good. This is a "big" ensemble playing the sort of jazz that has dominated recent decades - a cocktail of be-bop, cool jazz, and just a splash of free jazz. Hargrove is tastiest as a balladeer, so most of the tracks have the smoky-romance ballad feel abou them.

The "concept" is also a fine commercial one, a "sampler" in effect of the new jazz voices on the iconic instrument of modern jazz, the tenor saxophone. One might be tempted to buy this CD just to sort through the 'competition' for the mantle of Lester Young or Dexter Gordon. The tenorists included are: Stanley Turretine, Bradford Marsalis, Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin (though Griffin is a lot older, born in 1928), and Joshua Redman. You can listen, evaluate, and go find other CDs by the ones you like, right? To my ears, the clear choices would be Griffin, for his hot licks, and Redman, for his harmonic/melodic intelligence. Redman never lets his fingers do his thinking; his improvs always have a kind of melodic relevance and intentionality. Frankly, I wish he'd recorded more tracks like these, multi-instrument ensembles rather than his usual trios or quartets backed up with only piano/bass/drums. Both Griffin and Redman encourage Hargrove's musical focus.

But the dominant impression one will get from this menagerie of tenor saxists is that John Coltrane lives and breathes. Coltrane's influence is paramount, as most jazz fans will probably assume it should be.

While it is difficult for post modern Jazz musicians to truly match up to the greats of years past, Roy Hargrove dislays some impressive playing for a youngster. Having incredible chops and sensitivity for playing ballads, he is by far the more versatile player among his peers. However, as Wynton Marsalis gets most of the press for trumpeters, Roy is undeniably a gifted musician, while Wynton suffers from cliched blowing and criticism of ripping off Duke Ellington. Roy's strength has always been playing standards. As a composer, his compositions pales in comparison to his fiery soloing. Since Tenors Of Our Time consists of mostly standards, his playing truly shines. Especially since some of the best tenor saxophone players appear on this album, it is a chance for the uninitiated to hear some good music, and to in fact be introduced some of the best musicians most young Americans may never heard of.

I'm going to keep this very short. Roy Hargrove is a marvelous trumpet player. He is one the very few vying for Lee Morgan's unoccupied spot as "the" trumpet player of his time. As good of a set as this is, and as "on" as Hargrove is, it is too relaxed for me to get overly excited. There are a few tunes that Hargrove really cuts loose on (e.g. the opener "Soppin' The Biscuit"), but he is largely reserved resulting in a cd I consider to be too laid back. I think I've been spoiled by Nicholas Payton.

Mr.Hargrove and Verve should pay me some royalties for sales of some 10 CDs with the Tenors. I got one track recorded as a recipient sound in my telephone answer machine and people simply get crazy. Then it became the birthday gift of the moment. What a disc! All stars!