Twio
| Twio | ||||
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| Studio album by Walter Smith III | ||||
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| Label (s) | Whirlwind Recordings | |||
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CD |
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Title (number) |
9 |
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Twio is a jazz album by Walter Smith III . The recordings made in 2017 were released on Whirlwind Recordings in 2018 .
background
The saxophonist Walter Smith III recorded the studio album Twio with his regular trio of Harish Raghavan (bass) and Eric Harland (drums). He recorded other titles with two guest musicians, with Joshua Redman in “On the Trail”, “ I'll Be Seeing You ” and “Contrafact” as well as with bassist Christian McBride , who replaced Raghaven on four tracks. The track selection of this album consisted of jazz classics such as "Ask Me Now" by Thelonious Monk or " The Peacocks " by Jimmy Rowles . The only exception to this program is Walter Smith's original composition "Contrafact", which is based on "Like Someone in Love" by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke , but has been revised in 5/4 time.
Track list
- Walter Smith III: Twio (Whirlwind Recordings WR4718)
- Ask Me Now (Thelonious Monk) 6:00
- Nobody Else but Me ( Jerome David Kern , Oscar Hammerstein II ) 4:36
- On the Trail ( Ferde Grofé ) 6:07
- We'll Be Together Again ( Carl T. Fischer , Frankie Laine ) 4:17
- I'll Be Seeing You ( Sammy Fain , Irving Kahal. ) 5:45
- Adam's Apple ( Wayne Shorter ) 7:36
- The Peacocks (Jimmy Rowles) 5:38
- Social Call ( Gigi Gryce , Jon Hendricks ) 2:54
- Contrafact (Smith) 5:18
reception
According to Roger Farbey, who reviewed the album in All About Jazz , the two tracks Smith and Redman play together are reminiscent of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims ' joint recordings on "You' n Me" or John Coltrane and Hank Mobley on Two Tenors ; you can experience how the two saxophonists insatiable exchange licks in Ferde Grofé's "On the Trail". Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" is treated darkly and thoughtfully by Smith, whereby he channels the original recording by Stan Getz from 1975 to a certain extent - but not copied, according to the author. The humorous false start of Gigi Grye 's “Social Call” gives an indication of the atmosphere around this relaxed and cheerful session, in which Smith and guest bassist Christian McBride performed a short but pleasant duet. This continuation of Still Casual from 2014 consolidates his talent and confirms the view that he must now be one of the best saxophonists to play today, says Farby.
Also in All About Jazz, Phil Barnes wrote that Smith showed an awareness of the pitfalls when he initially tried out the material live and tried “to change the melodies pretty radically ... to the point where I could barely read the original song played ”, he quotes the musician. This would have moved Smith to interpret the material more directly and choose pieces to which he had a special relationship. According to the author, Eric Harland deserves a special mention - his contribution to the duo piece with Smith "We'll Be Together Again" shows excellent control and the sense of flexibility in the cast of the album. Smith thought carefully about how this music would be presented, subtly varying the approach or placement from track to track. Twio achieves an almost perfect balance between accessibility and musical excellence, Barnes sums up, "and offers a most enjoyable, if unexpected, pleasure."
Frank Alkyer wrote in Down Beat , Smith was for a long time an outstanding player in his own projects and as a companion for many musicians, from Roy Haynes and Terence Blanchard to Sean Jones and Ambrose Akinmusire ; but here at Twio you can see that Walter Smith has withdrawn the layers of his art form in order to concentrate on the essentials.
According to Mike Collins (London Jazz News), Walter Smith has returned to the source with just bass and drums with his fellow musicians and repertoire. There are no tricky arrangements here , just the band bring all their attention and experience to the moment. It is a studio recording, but it gives the hissing and crackling sound of a live performance and a feeling for what is happening. They constantly remind us, according to the author, that "less is more".
Individual evidence
- ↑ Walter Smith III: Twio at Discogs
- ↑ Roger Farby: Walter Smith III: Twio. All About Jazz, February 9, 2018, accessed June 12, 2020 .
- ^ Phil Barnes: Walter Smith III: Twio. All About Jazz, May 2, 2018, accessed June 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Frank Alkyer: Walter Smith III: Twio. Down Beat, February 6, 2018, accessed June 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Mike Collins: Walter Smith III: Twio. London Jazz News, May 6, 2018, accessed June 7, 2020 .