Search - Henry Franklin :: Basic Instincts

Basic Instincts, Sophisticated Sounds

Peter M. Stocks | Riverside, CA United States | 06/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Henry Franklin is a sound, traditional, jazz bassist. That doesn't mean I want to compare him to any other bassist in particular. Rather, I make the point to assert that, like jazz bass players such as Percy Heath or Ray Brown, he personalizes the piece he is playing, plays whistfully and with impressive agility with the other musicians with whom he is involved, while sustaining a rock-solid rhythmic foundation. Basic Instincts assembles a good group of players and the jazz is solid. I especially like the pieces "Waltz for Gina," "No te Preocupes," and "Forest Flower" because they seem to pay homage to the likes of Bill Evans and Billy Strayhorn. There is not a bad piece on the album, though, and there is a wide range of styles and some striking improvisation. Mr. Franklin just seems to get better with time as the newer album Bass Encounters and the recent Sakura will show you. We here in Riverside, California are fortunate enough to be able to hear him most any night at the Mission Inn, one of the world's great hotels made better by the sounds coming from the Presidents' Lounge."