EAN: 0068944012923

There are many jazz bassists that swing, have rock-solid deep blue tones, and know their tradition forwards and backwards, but few quite like {|Curtis Lundy|}. He's had scant opportunitie… Meer...

There are many jazz bassists that swing, have rock-solid deep blue tones, and know their tradition forwards and backwards, but few quite like {|Curtis Lundy|}. He's had scant opportunities to lead a band of his own, but this is one listeners can quickly jump on, it's a very good representation of how he approaches the modern mainstream. As usual, he has alto saxophonist {|Bobby Watson|} along for the ride. Pianists {|John Hicks|} and {|Anthony Wonsey|} trade shifts on the nine selections, with drummer {|Winard Harper|} throughout. Tenor saxophonist {|Shelley Carrol|} is quite prevalent as an instrumental contributor and composer, while trumpeters {|Roy Hargrove|} and {|Peven Everett |}swap places on select cuts. There's also some outstanding vocal work from sister {|Carmen Lundy|}, who is on three wonderful tracks. The very best, {|Blue Woman,|} has her soulfully emoting over a modal horn line that softly swells in six-beat-per-bar time, accented by {|Hargrove|}'s lilting trumpet solo, a fully realized, beautifully conceived idea. {|Where'd It Go?|} is a tale of love lost hopefully to be found again, {|Carmen|}'s pining supported by {|Wonsey|}'s modal piano chords as {|Watson|}'s alto musically replies I'll think about it. The most unusual number, {|Everett|}'s {|Groydology,|} is a chunky, funky blues-to-small-swing changeling with {|Hicks'|} piano in a repetitive boogie foundation similar to {|Little Richard|} or {|Jerry Lee Lewis|}, setting off a loping horn line for a combination that's immediately ear grabbing. There are several instances where the band recalls {|Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers|}' style of post-bop, as on the swinger {|Carrol|} wrote, {|Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?|} There are three ballads; {|Carmen|}'s patient, sweet modal {|Long Journey,|} {|Onaje Allan Gumbs|} {|All Things Being Equal Are Not|} with extended lyricism from {|Carrol|}, and what liner note writer {|Willard Jenkins|} describes as a burnt orange hued lament, {|Teardrops,|} the bassist's lone composition on this CD, with {|Watson|}'s alto and {|Hargrove|}'s fluegelhorn weeping as {|Lundy|}'s bass offers the handkerchief. As a complete musical statement, this goes quite far in clearly defining what {|Lundy|}'s all about. Other recordings, especially the exceptional {|Just Be Yourself|} ({|New Note|}) gave more than a hint, but this very fine CD rams the point home. {|Curtis Lundy|}, Top 10 bassist, period. Recommended. ~ Michael G. Nastos Music>Music>Jazz>Jazz>Jazz, Idn Distribution Core >3<