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LOWELL DAVIDSON - TRIO

Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 01/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One disc 44 minutes approximately. Remastered sound,which is clean and crisp. These tracks were recorded in 1965. They are certainly of their time and place. Davidson was recommended to ESP by Ornette Coleman,and was allowed to record this album without benefit of auditioning. The other musicians,besides Davidson on piano are;Gary Peacock -bass,Milford Graves-percussion. These are the only studio recordings of Davidson,who died at the age of fifty. He was a graduate student at Harvard University in biochemistry. After a horrible lab accident,where Davidson was severely injured,he never recorded again. There are live tapes of his music that,one day,may see the light of day so we can have a chance to hear him in a concert setting. The music is a bit on the abstract side,but not so "far out" that it can't be enjoyed by the average jazz listener. Think of Keith Jarrett as far as the piano sound and add a bit of Cecil Taylor as far as the note clusters and melodies. Gary Peacock needs no introduction,as he is widely known throughout the jazz world. His bass always fills in wherever he's needed and he keeps the sound grounded at all times. Graves is well known for his drumming prowess. He has been playing in this style of "free music" for a very long time. On this group of tracks his percussion is almost like a second lead instrument. He plays along and fills in around the sound of the piano until they are intertwined almost telepathically. All the compositions are by Davidson,and follow his own thinking. This is one of those albums that will be in print for a while,and then be gone. Davidson's name can't be found in the usual places one goes for information on jazz artists. So he is already obscure. If you like "outside" piano jazz in a trio setting-this will be a good addition to your listening library. Don't wait to long."

You had to hear them in person

jazz lover since 1960 | Tampa, Fl. and Franklin, NC | 12/04/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When I was a young jazz fan and graduate student in Boston in 1965, I had the privilege of of hearing many of the masters of jazz come through town. Coltrane, Charles Lloyd, Charlie Mariano, I could go on and on.

But one concert that stays with me to this day is a mesmerizing performance by the Lowell Davidson Trio with the rhythm section of Gary Peacock and Milford Graves, same as on this recording. So why am I giving this a meager 3 stars, where the previous heartfelt customer reviews have given it 5 stars? This may be part of the nature of jazz: sometimes it is best heard live. Sometimes the musicians are more inspired than other times. Sometimes the listener is in a different frame of mind than at other times. At any rate, I was so dissappointed in this recording. It failed to move me. Indeed, it was almost boring. The highlight of the concert was Milford's unique, slippery drumming. I have never heard anything like it. But on record, it seems almost aimless. In a review of a Giuseppi Logan record(remember this avant gardist?), the reviewer comments that Milford does not sound as good on that record as in person. He further comments that the couple of recordings under Milford's leadership do not capture him as good as he is in person. This Davidson Trio recording also illustrates another issue I struggled with. I dutifully

heard many of the avant garde musicians in person in an effort to understand jazz. I bought their records. I got rid of them all. They did not satisfy as much as the straight ahead jazz of the masters that I love. Much of the avant garde seems to be self indulgent posturing made by sincere musicians trying to be different. Thank you, Lowell Davidson trio, for a concert that was a highlight of my jazz life. I wish the recording could have done the same for me. I'm not accusing the Davidson trio of posturing, just that I didn't like this recording."

As clear as the unconscious

George | London, England | 07/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As the title suggests the impromptu task of improvisation involves this highly imaginative individual sifting through the cobwebs of the mind in order to sketch out as honest a representation of what it means to be a human as is humanly possible. He creates the kind of music which deals with the sort of emotions and feelings only found in the cracks between the notes. A kind of mystery and magic that is extremely rare especially considering the scarcity of this mans output. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THOSE OF YOU INTERESTED IN TRUTHS, AND OTHERWORLDLY CONCIOUSNESS!!! GET IT...THIS IS ART DESERVES IMMORTALITY AND MAKES PEOPLE THE KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE."