New links now available for both albums.
Something from my favourite pianist, several albums emerged from Hawes' European tour with this trio in 1971.
This Guys In Love With You
Review by Scott Yanow:
Hampton Hawes, a bop-oriented pianist in the '50s, continued to develop and evolve throughout his career without losing his musical identity. For this trio set with bassist Henry Franklin and drummer Michael Carvin, Hawes shows the influence of McCoy Tyner a bit and, by performing Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's in Love with You" (along with four other group originals), he shows his openness to including some pop material in his repertoire (although his explorative version owes little to the original hit tune). This excellent live session has plenty of close interplay by the tight trio.
01 - This Guy's In Love With You
02 - South Hampton*
03 - The Camel
04 - Little Miss Laurie
05 - Hamp's Broad Blue Acres
*'South Hampton' is actually Wayne Shorter's 'Footprints' and is correctly titled and credited on the later 'Live at Montmartre' reissues.
Dexter Gordon (ts -5) Hampton Hawes (ps) Henry Franklin (bs) Michael Carvin (d)
"Jazzhus Montmartre", Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2, 1971
A Little Copenhagen Night Music
Liner Notes by Michael Cuscuna:
This is a companion album to Hampton Hawes' first Freedom disc, first released as "This Guy's In Love With You" and later released as "Live At The Monmartre!' While both albums were recorded live at the Jazzhus Monmartre on the same night, the circumstances and music differ greatly.
That first album featuring contemporary compositions by the trio members and others in carefully planned arrangements was recorded early in the night before a full crowd. Most of the material from "A Little Copenhagen Night Music" was taped very late into the night with an intimate crowd in an after hours environment. While Hamp's "Spanish Way" might fit more into the mold of the contemporary material, the rest of this performance finds the pianist comfortably digging into four be-bop classics.
This 1971 European tour with Henry Franklin and Michael Carvin marked a fruitful and happy period in Hamp's too often tragic and frustrated career. That joy is communicated in this rare glimpse at Hamp in a totally informal setting. It was very soon after this tour that Hamp returned to the States and began playing in a new fusion style with electric keyboards. In fact, at the end of this long night
of September 2, 1971, Hamp began playing for the first time an electric piano that pianist Tommy Clausen had brought into the club.
Dexter Gordon, a long time comrade of Hamp's from their early Los Angeles days, joined the group that night for a very special reunion. In the actual sequence of that night, Dexter's classic "Dexter's Deck" followed "Now's The Time!' If one listens carefully, one can hear Dex walk up to the bandstand during "Now's The Time" and call, "Can the tenor player get some?"
Dexter and Hamp were again reunited and recorded by Prestige at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. Their mutual respect and enthusiasm for one another are clearly audible on the rousing version of "Dexter's Deck!' Ironically, Dexter on tour during his triumphant re-entry in the American scene arrived in Los Angeles in May of 1977 only to be greeted with the news of Hamp's death and stayed to attend the funeral.
Hampton Hawes' life and struggles and talent have been well documented in various articles, in his autobiography and on his many fine recordings for Contemporary, Black Lion-Freedom, Prestige and a few others. His abrupt and premature end was just another example of the tragedy and injustice that plagued his entire life.
1. Now's The Time
2. Round Midnight
3. Cheryl
4. Spanish Way
5. Long Tall Dexter (Dexter Deck)
Dexter Gordon (ts -5) Hampton Hawes (ps) Henry Franklin (bs) Michael Carvin (d)
"Jazzhus Montmartre", Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2, 1971
(Freedom (E) FLP 41043)
