Search - Darrell Grant :: Twilight Stories

Another Winner from Darrell Grant

mj5 | Harrisburg, PA USA | 10/16/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On Darrell Grant's third released effort, "Twilight Stories," there literally is something for everyone, from the rousing neo-bop of "Afrique-Ville," to the R&B-influenced "Twilight," to the bluesy "Please Send Me Someone To Love," Grant takes the listener through a variety of styles, tempos, and colors. As with Grant's other efforts, this one is a mix of original compositions and a few standards, including a fresh approach to the old chestnut "My Old Flame." I give this album four stars instead of five only because I like "The New Bop" and "Smokin' Java" better.It's been said that you can hear Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner in Brad Mehldau's playing, and I think the same can be said of Darrell Grant's. Evans is apparent in the lovely "Yvette," and the Tyner influence is heard in "Afrique-Ville" and in "Arise."Apparently, these tunes have been in the can for some time. If I read the liner notes correctly, the folks at 32 Jazz "found" these previously-unreleased cuts and put together this album. It's not clear from the notes, but these could be the first Darrell-Grant-as-leader recordings, which would make sense when you realize that the supporting cast is entirely different from his other albums. (Note: 32 Jazz and its sister label, Label M, have been releasing "lost" performances from people such as Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt, and Cedar Walton for some time now, with pretty decent results.)Whether this is Darrell Grant's first album or the third, it's another great effort by this up-and-coming artist. Check it out!"