Think Free

Ben Allison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 13, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Palmetto Records
• ASIN: B002L31Q0C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,842 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Bassist/composer Ben Allison s ninth album, Think Free, is part of a paradigm shift that began with his 2005 Palmetto Records release, Cowboy Justice. I wanted a band that rocked, says Allison of his changing sound. I was moving away from the chamber-jazz elements of Medicine Wheel and Peace Pipe and trying to incorporate other sounds into my music. I continue to try to get to something personal. Cowboy Justice, Little Things Run the World (Palmetto, 2008), and now Think Free are all one continuous train of thought.

Think Free builds not only on the concept but also the personnel of its predecessors. Longtime compatriot Steve Cardenas returns on guitar, alongside trumpeter Shane Endsley, violinist Jenny Scheinman and drummer Rudy Royston. Each of them are composers and band leaders and bear impressive artistic resumes: Cardenas is a member of Paul Motian s Sextet and Charlie Haden s Liberation Music Orchestra; Endsley is a rising voice on trumpet, well known for his work in Kneebody and alongside Ani Difranco; Scheinman has been widely acclaimed for her performance as both violinist and vocalist; and Royston s training in both the conservatory and the church contributes to his soulful precision behind the kit. The addition of Scheinman s violin to the quartet of trumpet, guitar, bass and drums had been in Allison s mind since 2005. In the past few years I was fortunate to play a lot with Jenny, often in collaboration with Rudy and Steve. We all felt an immediate and strong musical connection. Allison continues, I think an extremely important part of being a composer/bandleader is assembling an interesting combination of musicians. Duke Ellington and Miles Davis were masters of this. Their music is very much an extension of the rapport between, and personalities of, the members of their groups. It could be said that choosing the right musicians is part of the compositional process.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Glad I Discovered Ben Allison, November 7, 2009

By 

L. Simon "The Same Yest!" (Boise, ID) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Think Free (Audio CD)

Each Ben Allison album is an exercise in masterful playing, fun arrangements, and emotional range. The opener, "Fred," is a real charmer, combining elements of sixties pop and funk grooves, Jean Luc-Ponty violin fusion, and an undercurrent of melancholic unease. Speaking of melancholic unease, the second track (don't worry, I'm not going to review each individual track) sounds like an instrumental outtake from Radiohead's "In Rainbows." The skipping tension of the introductory guitar chords sets the tone for a wave-like melody on top of Radiohead-like chords (beautiful). The rest of the tunes are all great too. This album is full of surprises; some tunes latched onto me right away while others took a few listens to start to fully appreciate. Excellent violin by Jenny Schneiman and tasty drumming by Rudy Royster, lyrical trumpet by Shane Endsley, and free-ranging guitar by Steve Cardenas, who sounds like Mahavishnu McLaughlin one minute and Bill Frissell the next (this is not to say he's derivative--quite the opposite--but that he's incredibly versatile). And of course, Ben's tart and magical bass playing. I can't stop listening to this album! Another real stand-out tune, with a killer title, is "Kramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla." I also highly recommend Ben's previous album, "Little Things Run the World," but really, all of his albums are worth checking out, if not fully submerging yourself therein.

Question: The last song, "Green Al," sounds a lot like the theme to one of the early James Bond movies. Anyone know what I'm thinking of?

4.0 out of 5 stars Ben Allison mixes rock song forms with his jazz, January 10, 2010

By 

Anthony Cooper (Louisville, KY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Think Free (Audio CD)

Ben Allison has long recorded jazz songs that would be approachable by rock fans. He doesn't have distorted guitars, but the rigorous song forms are rock-inspired. "Think Free" takes things another step in the rock-inspired direction than "Little Things Run The World" or "Cowboy Justice". The personnel on "Think Free" are slightly different. Long-time trumpeter Ron Horton is replaced by Shane Endsley, though Endsley plays in a similar spare, disciplined style. Jenny Scheinman plays violin, Steve Cardenas is back playing mostly subtle guitar, and Rudy Royston is new to the drum chair. The addition of Scheinman's violin gives the songs some additional depth, though I don't think the songwriting is as strong as the last two CD's. All in all, this is an about average CD for Ben Allison, which makes this CD better-than-average.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars give me some more, January 18, 2011

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searches for truth - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Think Free (Audio CD)

I thought it would be a great CD to listen to on a lazy morning. I will seek out more of his work. Some of the songs seemed to have an eastern flavor while being jazz. I enjoyed the blend of instruments he uses. Check him out.