Alvin Queen's longtime
European expatriate status has apparently ended, as this recording for the
veteran drummer was done in New York City with younger musicians who admire his
veteran presence and solid mainstream jazz credentials. Several cuts hearken
back to modified Jimmy Smith style organ combos, while others have a feel
stemming from Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and some get down and dirty with
the original funk of those like Horace Silver. Queen himself is a solid drummer
who does not employ bashing or histrionics à la Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, or
Jeff Watts, while his musicality is second to none, and rivals peers like Joe
Chambers. Organist Mike LeDonne shines brightly as the glue on this session,
with guitarist Peter Bernstein right by his side, while trumpeter Terell
Stafford and alto saxophonist Jesse Davis prove a fine tandem that front the
music in a faithful, straight-ahead, no-nonsense fashion. For those who are
veteran listeners of jazz, you'll recognize a faithful version of Silver's
"Cape Verdean Blues" with its wonderfully rich harmonies and
churning rhythm, or Wayne Shorter's "United" with a similar Latin
beat tacked onto a New Orleans feeling, not so much embellished as it is
slightly shaded with LeDonne's organ. "I Got a Woman" is a
typical, tried and true boogaloo groove that would make its author Ray Charles
smile. Two obscure Oscar Peterson tunes are included, with "Sushi"
a fast, insistent bop, and "Backyard Blues" a galloping
romp/shuffle served under the tangy horns. Joe Pace, hardly known as a writer
of jazz, contributed the title track in its happy, more contemporary modern
organ combo format, while "Let Us Go into the House" certainly
lives up to its singsongy, blues/gospel funk title. Davis brings to the
repertoire the slow, cool, and basic "Blues on Q," as well as
"Alba," a hip Blakey-type modern jazz swinger with Queen's
drum fill-ins as pauses for thought and Bernstein's tasty guitar work. The
obligatory Queen solo, "The Drum Thing," concludes the CD on a
rumbling, tasteful note with help from Randy Weston's longtime conga player
Neil Clarke. Were this to be a real working band (all of the participants are
leaders in their own right,) jazz listeners would be shouting to the rafters
for more of this excellent unit perhaps touring in support of this music. For
now, this should do just fine as a quite memorable effort. ~ by Michael G.
Nastos, AMG.
Enja Records, ENJ-9522 2, 2009
Recorded 25th & 26th
March, 2008 at Muzic Complex Studio, Dobbs Ferry, New York
Musicians:
Alvin Queen - Drums
Terell Stafford - Trumpet,
Flugelhorn
Jesse Davis - Alto Saxophone
Mike LeDonne - Organ [Hammond
B-3]
Peter Bernstein - Guitar
Elias Bailey - Bass (#4,7)
Neil Clark - Congas,
Percussion
Tracks:
1. Mighty Long Way {Joe Pace}
(5:23)
2. Sushi {Oscar Peterson}
(7:48)
3. Cape Verdean Blues {Horace
Silver} (6:25)
4. Blues On Q {Jesse Davis}
(7:46)
5. I Got A Woman {Ray
Charles} (7:41)
6. Backyard Blues {Oscar
Peterson} (5:16)
7. Alba {Jesse Davis} (4:51)
8. Let Us Go Into The House
{Joe Pace} (7:13)
9. Drum Thing {Alvin Queen}
(8:46)
Total Time: 61:09
Credits:
Producer - Matthias
Winckelmann
Audio Engineer - Vito Luizzi
Design - Franziska Erdle,
David Winckelmann
Assistant Engineer - Alec
Head
Cover Photo - Mark Wohlrab
