***1/2 T.S. Monk Band THE CHARM(Blue Note)
Drummer Monk (son of pianist/composer
Monk) and his spanking sextet
continue their fascinating excavations of the jazz archives. His solid
line-up - reedman Willie Williams and Bobby Porcelli,
trumpeter/arranger Don Sickler, pianist Ronnie Matthews, bassist Scott
Colley - mines great material, dusts off and spiffs up underplayed
beauties from neglected corners of the bebop legacy. The album's
centerpiece is Clifford Jordan's "The Highest Mountain": majestic as
the studio take is with layered, dramatic ensembles, it becomes truly
monumental when sketched in live performance. Melba Liston's "Just
Waiting" speaks volumes about bearing illness with patience and
dignity. Walter Davis Jr.'s wide and sassy "Gypsy Folk Tales" wraps up
the set with Latin flourishes. The group usually plays just one or two
Monk Sr. compositions per album (or set); here a sultry, savory chart
of "Bolivar Blues" showcases Colley and Matthews. Porcelli, a fiery,
lucid altoist, is featured throughout, though nowhere better than on
his own "Rejuvenation." (T.S. Monk and his sextet play Scullers this
weekend, November 17-18.)
- Fred Bouchard
|
