Montreal Memories
| Montreal Memories | ||||
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| Live album by Frank Morgan and George Cables | ||||
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Publication |
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| Label (s) | HighNote Records | |||
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Format (s) |
CD |
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Title (number) |
9 |
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running time |
61:00 |
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Studio (s) |
Theater Port Royal, Festival International de Jazz de Montréal |
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Montreal Memories is a jazz album by Frank Morgan and George Cables , which was recorded on July 1, 1989 at the Theater Port Royal as part of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and released on November 23, 2018 on HighNote Records . This is the second duet album that the two musicians have submitted; the first was Contemporary Double Image from 1987.
background
After Frank Morgan, 22-year-old saxophonist from Minneapolis on the west coast of the United States, made his debut, he sank into drug and drug problems, “which meant the prison would be his quarters for a few years. He wasn't long from the practice range when he met Cables and started the long string of comeback albums that brought him into the new millennium, ”said Brian Morton .
Morgan and Cables worked together from the mid-1980s until Morgan's death in 2007; they had known each other for a decade when this was recorded. According to Morton, the duo's relationship was already cemented by the enthusiastic support of crime writer Michael Connelly , who also directed the documentary Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story .
Music of the album
The live set begins with Charlie Parker's " Now's the Time "; the following standard “ All the Things You Are ” allows the two musicians to present their improvisations in the construct of a ballad. "Morgan's moody saxophone overlaid Cables' piano to give the song not only emotional resonance but also atmosphere," wrote Peter Hoetjes. Cables played “ A Night in Tunisia ” a decade earlier during saxophonist Art Pepper's Village Vanguard sessions .
"Confirmation", one of the classic Charlie Parker numbers, is not really performed at a fast pace here. "It still feels like Morgan is just pushing a little cables and clinging to his heels," says the author . After the relaxed “Blues for Rosalinda” that Morgan wrote for his wife, the artist Rosalinda Kolb, two original compositions by Cables, “Helen's Song” and a “Lullaby” follow. This “Lullaby” is “a weighty and emotional song”, “the song not only hurts, it moans and sobs and bleeds at the same time”. In contrast, “Helen's Song”, which is usually played with a piano trio, Morgan and Cables “can improvise and breathe new life into the pianist's most famous composition.” To counteract the mood of the previous 22 minutes, the duo also finishes their live set a medley from Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti", combined with a serene Charlie Parker title "Billie's Bounce".
Track list
- Frank Morgan & George Cables: Montreal Memories (HighNote HCD 7320)
- Now's the Time ( Charlie Parker ) 6:30
- All the Things You Are ( Jerome David Kern / Oscar Hammerstein II ) 7:02
- A Night in Tunisia ( Dizzy Gillespie , Frank Paparelli) 7:46
- 'Round Midnight (Hanighen, Williams, Monk) 5:31
- Confirmation (Charlie Parker) 4:59
- Blues for Rosalinda (Frank Morgan) 8:27
- Helen's Song (George Cables) 8:24
- Lullaby (George Cables) 5:03
- Medley: Nefertiti ( Wayne Shorter ) - Billie's Bounce (Charlie Parker) 7:26
reception
After its release, the album received consistently positive reviews in jazz critics; Chris Pearson awarded the album four (out of five) stars in The Times . George W. Harris said in Jazz Weekly Richard Brody ( The New Yorker ) the album was one of the best archive releases in the field of jazz of 2018. In his opinion, " Montreal Memories shines with its excruciatingly intimate artistry: blues-infected, melancholy , melodic, and classified as sophisticated by floods of tones that can only be counted by ears. His style is based on Parkers, but it is completely personal. His richly nuanced tone sounds serene, a treasure that is enriched by decades of painful experience. ”The fact that his musical selection also included“ Neferiti ”, a title recorded by the Miles Davis Quintet in 1967, stands for“ Morgan’s thwarted connection with the musical Changes in the time of his absence. "
Peter Hoetjes said in All About Jazz , “This type of album is usually either great or weak, which makes live recording a bit of a luck factor, but Morgan and Cables are taking these opportunities and it is paying off well for the second time around. With a career as a pianist for some of the greatest horn players out there, Cables effortlessly combines his approach with Morgan's unique voice. Both musicians have very recognizable sounds; If either record were to be removed, it wouldn't be difficult to tell who is playing. Neither of them sacrificed any of their character to create this, and Montreal Memories is a much stronger album for that. ”The author sums up:“ All the sounds that the audience has heard in the last hour are put together in such a way that they prove how amazing those two were back then. ” Montreal Memories is truly one of the“ must have ”jazz albums of the year.
Britt Robson wrote in JazzTimes about the ballads “Blues For Rosalinda”, “Helen's Song” and “Lullaby”: “The entire triptych is a tonic for the dry and wistful creative exchange between the duo and not for a sentimental wave, the Morgans evocative handling highlights the lower, more dulcet side of the alto and the remarkable range, both acoustic and emotional, of Cables' caressing of the ivory keys. "
Derek Taylor wrote in Dusted that the relationship with Charlie Parker was seen throughout the concert in both Morgan's phrasing and bop-related program, but that he brings with him a treasure trove of improvisation strong and personal enough to regularly oppose the derivation of ancestry to fight back. Cables changes from a tight and springy accompaniment to a lively leadership and back, whereby the playful deference to his partner is retained. The opening excursion through "Now's the Time" is a rich encapsulation of their relationship. Morgan kicks off with ventilated vertical flights that mix clean melodic lines with fleet-like reed and finger effects, while Cables maintains a relentless tonal center with interlocking hands.
"All the Things You Are" let fall a wafer-thin, ballad-like shell, which is reinforced by the somewhat cloudy fidelity of the source tape. Morgan blows amorally and is penetrated by the rolling chords of Cables and enjoys the suppleness of the upper register of his horn. The piano improvisation that follows is relatively skillful and with Cable's expressions of satisfaction audible before a brief applause breaks out. The communicative depictions of “A Night in Tunisia”, “Round Midnight” and “Confirmation” refer to other well-known Bop signposts before the duo broke up with a surprising mix of Wayne Shorter's “Nefertiti” and a final bird-bon motif “ Billie's Bounce ”. "Morgan may not have always been a friend on various personal matters, but in the company of Cables his musical cleverness is evident."
George W. Harris said in Jazz Weekly that Morgan enjoyed freedom and the new life. The duet collection that was created together with Cables is the epitome of what bebop was about, namely festivals and art. Morgan plays with an authoritative relaxed swing that can only come from someone with modern jazz in their blood. He sighs on the polite solo of 'All the Things You Are' and his soft tone hovers like a hawk over Cables' hip impulse on 'Now's The Time'. His scream expresses the tones of 'Round Midnight' and glides sweetly like Hodges , while Gables plays a rich, full-bodied solo in "Blues for Rosalinda". Morgan also shows his openness to the post-bop scene and interprets Wayne Shorter's “Nefertiti” in detail before jumping like a stone at “Billie's Bounce”. This album is a strong reminder of how lively and life-affirming jazz can be. As if you wanted to walk through a baroque church and look at the blue sky of Titian : ""
Brian Morton wrote in the Jazz Journal , “Saxophone and piano duos can be sluggish 'conversation', one-off encounters in the smaller tents at a festival, or old buddy dates that mean little more than pipe and slippers. Playing here is not easy or preset. "Cables is a master of structure so Morton, and Morgan's songs Music is so logical and" bird "-gefiedert (" Bird "-feathered) like the real thing.
The author compares the album with the previous quartet productions by the two musicians City Nights: Live at Jazz Standard and Raising the Standard: Volume 2 (High Note); the former rhythm section of Curtis Lundy and Billy Hart would "not missing so much as not really necessary" considered. Frank Morgan, who pays tribute to Bird in every bar , even though he has always denied that he was a student, “knows this material so well that it almost slips through the memory of the muscles. A brisk, soulful 'Now's the Time' defines the basic language, with Cables providing the spider work and gentle counter-melodies. ”In contrast to the routinely performed“ Round Midnight ”,“ Confirmation ”is“ an exciting blast before the duo in Morgans' Blues for Rosalinda 'and Cables' 'Helen's Song' and 'Lullaby' harbor more personal tributes. "
“After that there is a virtuoso chase for the challenging line of 'Nefertiti',” Morton said of the medley, “just to show that Morgan knows where the line is going and 'Billie's Bounce' just to show that he is knows where it comes from. Just to show Morgan knows where ancestry is going and 'Billie's Bounce' just to show that he knows where he came from. An absolutely satisfactory performance on all levels, ”is the author's summary.
Web links
- Listing of the album Frank Morgan and George Cables: Montreal Memories in at Allmusic (English). Accessed March 31, 2019.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Brian Morton: Frank Morgan / George Cables: Montreal Memories. Jazz Journal, March 24, 2019, accessed April 2, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Peter Hoetjes: Frank Morgan and George Cables: Montreal memories. All About Jazz, December 6, 2018, accessed March 31, 2019 .
- ↑ Discographic information at Discogs
- ^ Frank Morgan and George Cables: Montreal Memories review. In: The Times. December 14, 2018, accessed March 21, 2019 .
- ↑ Richard Brody: The Best Archival Jazz Releases of 2018. The New Yorker, December 27, 2018, accessed March 17, 2018 .
- ^ Britt Robson: Frank Morgan and George Cables: Montreal Memories. JazzTimes, February 1, 2019, accessed March 31, 2019 .
- ^ A b Derek Taylor: Frank Morgan and George Cables: Montreal Memories. February 1, 2018, accessed March 31, 2019 .
- ↑ George W. Harris: **** RINGER OF THE WEEK **** LAST OF THE BEBOPPERS? Frank Morgan & George Cables: Montreal Memories. Jazz Weekly, March 31, 2019, accessed April 2, 2019 .