Year: 2008
Record Label: Talking House Records
Style: Straight-Ahead / Classic
Musicians: Mike Clark (drums), Christian McBride (bass), Patrice Rushen (piano), Christian Scott (trumpet), Donald Harrison (alto sax), Jed Levy (tenor sax)
Review: Certain jazz artists will never - no matter how tastefully they approach their instrument, no matter how accomplished their technique, no matter how insightful and well-constructed their improvised conceptions - receive the recognition they deserve. There is no good, honest and equitable reason for this. That leaves the job of, hopefully, turning the public onto these artists to critics.
With that said, the inaugural release of the new Talking House Records Blueprints of Jazz series, Mike Clark, Vol. 1., contains music by an ensemble of jazz heavyweights who all deserve not just wider appeal, but more recognition within the genre. The date is lead by the superb jazz drummer, Clark. During his creative life, he has spent time with musicians as divergent as Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Bill Doggett and Mose Allison.
A true artist drummer/percussionist, Clark’s playing throughout is tightly focused on bringing out the best in his fellow instrumentalists. Like Buddy Rich, Clark leads strongly from the drum throne, yet never overshadows his cohort’s ideas or conceptions. Clark’s rich handiwork includes brilliant cymbal playing behind up-and-coming trumpeter Stephen Scott on “Like That,” as well as a beautifully laidback and sparse approach to “10th Ave. 1957” that can only come from years of paying dues and the maturity to bring that experience to the fore.
The other musicians are rife with real-world knowledge and the wisdom to make their contributions work in symbiosis with each other. While her work in R&B, soul and funk has kept her out of the jazz spotlight, pianist Patrice Rushen demonstrates why she need not be overlooked. Displaying a knack for not just voicing chords in the most appropriate manner to elevate her surroundings, Rushen also has that rare ability, so aptly demonstrated by Thelonious Monk, of being able to use dynamics within phrases to emphasize internal points of meaning and harmonic convergence. Multiple listening of her work on the up-tempo swinger “Thanks Len” and the hip “Clark Kent” will reward the listener with new insights to her genius on each pass.
Alto saxophonist Donald Harrison’s gritty style provides wonderful contrast to tenor saxophonist Jed Levy’s more bluesy approach. Their interplay, trading and elaborating on each other’s ideas throughout, is sincerely joyous. Bassist Christian McBride’s strong rhythmic conception is demonstrated perfectly on “Past Lives.” His ability to stay metrically flawless, yet create lines of seamless grandeur, shows why he is so respected and is holding such a prominent role at this year’s Monterey Jazz Festival.
The choice of music selected for this disc is some of the most complex and intensely serious jazz pieces any listener could ever run across, and there is no way they could have been so strongly rendered if not performed by the assembled cream of jazz’s elite. This disc is not for the faint of heart, but for those seeking out the state of jazz today, this disc is a perfect place to start.
Tracks: In The House, Like That, 10th Ave. 1957, Past Lives, Thanks Len, Loft Funk, Clark Kent, Conchita's Dance, Morning Became Electra and I Want To Talk About You
Record Label Website: http://www.threcords.com/
Artist's Website: http://www.mikeclarkmusic.com/
Reviewed by:
Thomas R. Erdmann
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