Search - Lonnie Plaxico, Ravi Coltrane, Steve Coleman :: West Side Stories

West Side Stories is the second release on plaxmusic" Lonnie's label. It's a reflection of the music Lonnie Plaxico absorbed from growing up in Chicago, where jazz musicians either by choice or necessity usually become proficient in a wide variety of music. For his 11th album, the bassist displays his unique visions of 21st century contemporary jazz, with slices of 70's funk and pop, avant-garde, the 80's M-Base sound, (which he helped pioneer with fellow Chicagoan, saxophonist Steve Coleman) and even smooth jazz. Plaxico is part of an impressive list of Chicagoans who have successfully mixed other music with their own diverse vision of jazz including Herbie Hancock, Ramsey Lewis, Eddie Harris, Art Porter, Gene Ammons, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and though they had huge pop success Earth, Wind & Fire can also be counted. what he has in common with them is stylistic high energy verve and a regional tenacity that resonates with musicians from Chicago. It is an essence in the local music that is hard to describe but all those aforementioned West and South side jazz products of Chicago, including Plaxico, have found wider audiences than just the stereotypical close-minded jazz fan. Today Plaxico has lived in New York for more years than in the city he grew up in. Many young musicians now look at him as being "old school,"- a member of the celebrated Young Lions from the neo-classicism period of the 80's and a co-founder of the sonically expansive hip-hop/jazz/avant-garde/funk movement known as M-Base from the same period. His name and music has spread around the world, in huge part because of his almost 20 years as music director for the biggest star to come out of M-Base, Cassandra Wilson, who sings four songs on West Side Stories. The tunes contained herein are a further crystallization of Plaxico using core musical values learned in Chicago added to styles he helped define in the two decades he's spent in New York to make music that is uniquely Lonnie Plaxico. The blistering title track is quite representative of the way Plaxico likes to mix his originals with highly syncopated modern rhythms and very intricate melodies steeped in neo-classicism. Trumpeter Alex Norris, who was a revelation on Plaxico's last album, Live At Jazz Standard, continues to make his case as a rising star on this tune and on others that solos on. Keyboard player George Colligan is another veteran of the bassist's compositional style as he was the glue that held Plaxico's sterling 2001 album Mélange together. Colligan adds the perfect ingredients to Plaxico's music. Along with the sax man Gary Thomas, the bassist's long time musical cohort in Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, And the literally thunder-stealing drummer, Kenny Grohowski, these musicians fire up the core of the music on West Side Stories. The sparks are added not only by the tremendous guest stars including Wilson, Coleman, Coltrane and singer Carla Cook, but by Plaxico's unabashed love of music from the 1970's. Funkadelic, Featuring Coltrane's wailing soprano sax and Duke It Out are interpretive tributes to two 70's funk icons named George; Clinton and Duke. It's funny but where record companies missed the boat on this one is probably the area that could sink West Side Stories with purists and critics. Despite all the challenging music on this disc, where Plaxico really takes chances is on the most accessible tracks, those featuring the biggest stars to emerge out of the M-Base movement; Wilson and Coleman. West Side Stories is Plaxico's 11th and quite possibly his breakthrough CD. Mark Ruffin Jazz Editor, Chicago Magazine Co-Host of Listen Here, The Public Radio Jazz Review