Paul Jeffrey: The Electrifying Sounds of

[Late]

 

Tony Jerant started a thread on this album back on the BNBB, and I thought I'd start one here. I'm listening to this as I type, and must now allow for a Whoo! While this is probably not a revolutionary album, it definitely has some fine playing in it. If you like progressive hard-bop (for lack of a better term) with numerous (but controlled) gestures toward the "avant garde," you should certainly seek out this album. Jeffrey is a very solid tenor player, in what I'd call (if name references are necessary) a Joe Henderson-Bennie Maupin mold. A husky tone, and fairly well-mastered technique. His strongest suit, in my opinion, is his writing, and this album has some nice examples of it.

 

Two notes: (1) Jeffrey uses a Varitone (electrified application) attachment on some tracks. While this might scare some off, he actually uses it pretty judiciously, and if you just think of the sound in a Roland Kirk type of way (tenor, doubled an octave lower by a baritone), it really isn't bad at all. (2) The disc is remastered from a vinyl copy. The sound, considering, is still pretty good, but on the opener, you can hear the needle running across the groove.

 

That said, the band on this set is terrific. Tom (Rooster Ties) — if you like progressive trumpet (which I know you do), this is one to pick up. Jimmy Owens is in fine form on this album: looking ahead, and outshining Jeffrey in places. He has some very effective high note wails on the track entitled "Green Ivan," which is an attractive minor key composition of Jeffrey's. It's the kind of segment in a song (Owens' wails) that you have to fumble for your remote after hearing it, in order to play it again.

 

The rhythm section: George Cables (acoustic piano), Larry Ridley (bass), and Billy Hart (drums). Recorded August 8, 1968. Ridley's fresh out of Freddie Hubbard's band, and lays down some nice bass lines.

 

OK, enough from me. I know there are other admirers of Jeffrey in general, and this album in particular. What do you think?

Edited February 17, 2016 by Late

[jazzbo]

It's pretty good. I guess I don't quite like it as much as you do.

I love the Mainstream albums of his that I have found though; those really really need to be on cd!

[mailman]

I know that Paul Jeffrey is a respected musician and this may well be an excellent recording. But jesus god almighty. What in the world was the art director (if there was one) at Savoy records thinking. I mean look at that photo. Does it scream "don't buy me" or what. I know that Herman Lubinsky had strong opinions about what his recordings sounded like, but he sure doesn't seem to have cared what they looked like. B)

Edited June 3, 2003 by mailman

[jlhoots]

Agree with mailman.

VERY strange cover.

[JSngry]

Aw, c'mon. You guys don't remember "Laugh In"?

[.:.impossible]

I like the cover. If I saw this as an LP in the dollar bin, I wouldn't think twice. The cover is so ODD! Paul Jeffrey: Seeing Eye Music.

I've never heard Paul Jeffrey before. I will keep the recommendations in mind. Thanks for the tip Late, Lon.

[DrJ]

That Tony Jerant, what a smart fella! (And Late certainly is too, of course, for bringing this out again).

This IS a killer album. Having heard both this and the Mainstreams Lon rightly singles out, I would personally give the egde to the Savoy by quite a large margin - for some reason it just sounds so fresh and full of possibilities - but they are certainly ALL worth the closest attention and there will be others who will certainly be inclined to favor the later Mainstreams.

For what it's worth, I really LOVE the cover, it was partly what sold me on this CD when I picked it up, knowing nothing about Jeffrey but figuring with an early sighting of the Billy Hart/George Cables pairing it couldn't be half bad. Like the music, that photo is just so fresh and innocent, so UN-contrived, so obviously NOT trying to cultivate any trendy style or anything. You can look at it as an homage to the things he loved dearly right at that moment in time: his axe (WITH electronics), his town, his dog, AND his brand new Nehru jacket (weren't those ALREADY out of style with the true trend-setters by 1968?)! So square it's flat out endearing.

[Late]

Wait a minute ... Tony Jerant = Dr. J? Julius Irving, PhD, in the house? Where's that thread explaining handles?

I love the cover too, for all the reasons you list. I've continued to spin this disc over the last two weeks, and am still enamored with it. It's not an earth-moving set, but it certainly has its fiery, and "progressive" moments.

I had a weird delusion the last time I played it — that maybe Wynton would cover Jeffrey's "Made Minor Blue," with Lovano in the front line, for his imminent Blue Note release.

Unlikely, but I'd actually buy the thing were this to happen!

(Dig too the ruffles peaking out from Jeffrey's Nehru. Yeah Baby! way before Mike Meyers. And the German Shepherd evidently digs the Varitone!)

[undergroundagent]

I thought I might resurrect this thread as I noticed Red Trumpet is selling the CD for $20.24. I've never heard it personally, but as these kats say it's a must-have!

FYI, Dustygroove is no longer stocking this album.

[Rooster_Ties]

Stumbled on this thread looking for something else, and did a quick search on YouTube, and voilà!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdZcBKVrLHs

[JSngry]

RIP Red Trumpet, they was fun!

[AllenLowe]

the only time I saw Paul Jeffrey was in a small Duke Jordan band at Gerald's Cafe in St. Albans, middle '70s. He was obviously a good musician but not very inspired as a soloist. One of those guys who plays all correct notes but kinda dull. He sounds a little better on that clip, though. Still, never quite seems to get going.

he sounds better on this:  (WAY better than Rouse; but still seems stuck at time):

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by AllenLowe

[Larry Kart]

Nice video interview with Jeffrey about Sonny Rollins:

 

[Late]

Forgotten I'd started this thread almost thirteen (!) years ago. I was a little too enthusiastic at the time. Still a pretty good record though.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, AllenLowe said:

the only time I saw Paul Jeffrey was in a small Duke Jordan band at Gerald's Cafe in St. Albans, middle '70s. He was obviously a good musician but not very inspired as a soloist. One of those guys who plays all correct notes but kinda dull. He sounds a little better on that clip, though. Still, never quite seems to get going.

he sounds better on this:  (WAY better than Rouse; but still seems stuck at time):

 

Is it just me, or does the beginning of Monk's solo, waaaay up on the high end of the piano, does that seems pretty unique in Monk's output, starting up there, and up there like that?

[Eric]

4 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Nice video interview with Jeffrey about Sonny Rollins:

 

Very nice, thanks for the post.

[clifford_thornton]

I have that Jeffrey LP on Savoy. It's nice. Not earth-shattering, but cool. Will check these clips.

[sidewinder]

I've never seen it but would pick it up if I ever saw it in the racks for reasonable $. Was it an Ozzie Cadena production?

[AllenLowe]

Jim - great minds think alike - the beginning of Monk's solo is amazingly unique - I had actually talked about this on Facebook, forgot I had not mentioned it here - in all of this, Monk seems completely re-energized. Possibly the presence of a non-Rouse-ian soloist to goad him on.