Time's Mirror

Tom Harrell

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 14, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00000K4GU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,960 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Tom Harrell, unlike most of today's trumpeters, blows you away with a full and even trumpet and flügelhorn tone that emphasizes hitting the right note instead of the high note. That quality has earned him a loyal following among the cream of today's musicians, as evidenced by the all-stars assembled on his third release for RCA, featuring his big-band compositions and arrangements. Joined by an array of heavyweights, including drummer Carl Allen, trombonist Conrad Herwig, tenor saxophonist Don Braden, and producer Ebb Belden, Harrell's swinging syncretism of Clifford Brown's precision, Chet Baker's lilting lyricism, and Donald Byrd's flights float over ethereal, harmonic waves reminiscent of Gil Evans's evocative voicings and the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra's power. The standards "Autumn Leaves," "Dream," and "Chasin' the Bird" dig up mounds of buried improvisational treasure, with Harrell out in front with his less-is-more solos. The fanfare-ish "Shapes," the neo-hip-hop backbeat of "Daily News," the Brazilian-breezed bossa nova on "Sao Paulo," the urbane blues of "Train Shuffle," and the Wayne Shorter-like title track show that Harrell's composition is a direct extension of his playing, which communicates without complication. A rare thing these days. --Eugene Holley Jr.

From Jazziz

The title track of Tom Harrell's first outing as a big-band leader offers opening notes and a solo that should further his reputation as one of the jazz world's most revered brass men. His flugelhorn sound is gently probing and burnished in tone. Its resonance hangs in the air - and in our ears - long after the tune has expired. Its warmth and room-filling presence demand an emotional response. The same might be said for the sound of the powerhouse, 18-piece ensemble Harrell assembled for this set of originals (some dating back to the '60s) and of interpretations of cherished favorites. Under Harrell's leadership, his ensemble - highlighted by tenorman Don Braden and pianist Xavier Davis - seems to extend his own measured, artful approach to the flugelhorn. However structurally conventional the arrangements may be, their soft-hued nature is refreshing amidst today's brassy, swing-crazed big bands.

First, the familiarities: "Autumn Leaves," big and bouncy, gives tenor saxophonist Alex Foster room to romp before the chart explodes into trumpet shakes and ends with a pensive reverie. Johnny Mercer's "Dream" is a lush reading of a gorgeous theme, flickering with constant, clever shaping and reshaping. Charlie Parker's "Chasin' the Bird," opened with a beefy Kenny Davis bass line, intermingles woodwinds with low and high brass for a twisting, rambunctious take on the melody line and eventually gives way to an incandescent, deftly constructed Harrell trumpet solo.

"Shapes," the first track, comes on like a wind symphony and shifts into a twisting theme before opening up for improvisations by Foster, Harrell, Davis, and drummer Carl Allen. "Daily News" features Harrell's flugel bouncing off rising and falling tides of horns. "São Paulo" is a light and breezy bossa. "Train Shuffle" sends us home with chugging rhythms and particularly inquisitive solos by trombonist Conrad Herwig and Braden. It's a bluesy, evocative end to a journey that's invigorating and full of promise for the next trip of its kind.

--Philip Booth, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Apex of the 30+ year Career of a Major Talent, November 27, 1999

By	Joel Fass (Riverdale, N.Y.) - See all my reviews

I am a guitarist/composer and an unabashed Harrell admirer since I first heard him in the late '70's on the New York scene. He was an in-demand sideman then, little-known to fans, but already he had won over the musicians. His trumpet playing scared us then, and he already had an mature and attractive body of compositions in the books of various bands he was in. And his artistry has only grown exponentially ever since. This recording's merits (to-the-point solos, well-planned, thorough-composed and emotionally charged charts, and a suite-like continuity) stand on their own. However, they take on added meaning when considered as the fruition of all those years experience coupled with constant thought about music and searching for a voice by the artist (some of these pieces are 30 years old, some written in 1999).

Standouts include "Daily News" (which uses metric shifting, compelling backgrounds and an exciting, ever-moving compositional landscape to create a steely brilliance offset by the warmth of Tom's flugelhorn), Sao Paulo (a zephyr-like bossa which slowly unfolds to wrap up with a glorious out-chorus), and the title track (if you aren't moved by this ballad performance, put in a call to the coroner).

This CD should only win Harrell more admirers, despite a craven 3 star review in Downbeat (seemingly because the reviewer couldn't handle the fact that Harrell's fame has finally grown beyond initiates). Tom Harrell's music does what art is supposed to when done right: bring beauty into the world and uplift the race. And he does it on this recording with more clarity and emotional commitment than ever before.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tom Harrell can do better than this, September 30, 1999

By A Customer

This is a beatifully arranged and performed recording, but the music is lacking the striking originality and sense of adventure that one finds in other Tom Harrell performances. In fact, some of it is just plain dull and corny. If you really want to hear what Mr. Harrell can do, I recommend Labyrinth or The Art of Rhythm or his wonderful collaboration with Joe Lovano on Live at the Village Vanguard.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing !, February 18, 2000

By	Graziano (Buenos Aires. Argentina) - See all my reviews

Whithout doubts, the trumpet of the new millenium, now with a big band. Un- Loosing! ( sorry about my english! )