Search - Elvin Jones :: Familiar Ground

Perfect for regular listening

R comme Ralingue | Bordeaux, France | 10/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of my favorite quartets. Elvin Jones with Pat la Barbera on tenor and soprano saxophone, Kenny Kirkland on piano and Reggie Workman on acoustic bass. This band sounds like John Coltrane quartet in the early 60's. Pat La Barbera wrote most of the pieces which are melodic, harmonically interesting. There's a John Coltrane composition (Harmonique) and one by Tadd Dameron. "Necessary Evil", the first track features the composer on tenor sax. It's a modal, medium-up piece and has short but telling solos by piano and bass. Liner notes : "Elvin then comes in for one of those stunning solos that follow the structure of the piece, and display that still astonishing independence of limbs which is a Jones trademark." All the album is like that: modal, blues, no wasted note, no real and strong improvisations (sometimes we wish there had been some). It's first class though, a sort of "Kind Of Blue" concept record. It's perfect for regular listenings. Total time : 43'.

The musicians play short but wow, what a thrill sometimes!

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