Aussie Releases

[avior]

★★★★☆

Always

Paul Grabowsky & Bernie McGann

ABC Jazz / Universal

476 5272

Studio recording; 68'18

Paul Grabowsky: piano / Bernie McGann: saxophone / Philip Rex: bass / Simon Barker: drums

1. God Bless The Child / 2. Where Are You? / 3. Always / 4. I'm Old Fashioned / 5. In The Chapel In The Moonlight / 6. It's A Lovely Day Tomorrow / 7. For Heaven's Sake / 8. Lover Man / 9. Night & Day / 10. I've Grown Accustomed To Her face / 11. You're My Everything

[Clunky]

★★★★☆

Always

Paul Grabowsky & Bernie McGann

ABC Jazz / Universal

476 5272

Studio recording; 68'18

Paul Grabowsky: piano / Bernie McGann: saxophone / Philip Rex: bass / Simon Barker: drums

1. God Bless The Child / 2. Where Are You? / 3. Always / 4. I'm Old Fashioned / 5. In The Chapel In The Moonlight / 6. It's A Lovely Day Tomorrow / 7. For Heaven's Sake / 8. Lover Man / 9. Night & Day / 10. I've Grown Accustomed To Her face / 11. You're My Everything

Both leaders a very good players. There is a thread somewhere about McGann. Judging by the titles I guess this is a fairly mellow album

?

Edited October 4, 2006 by Clunky

[Guest akanalog]

what's up with judy bailey? dustygroove has a judy bailey disc from the mid 70s that looks interesting.

[kenny weir]

Both leaders a very good players. There is a thread somewhere about McGann. Judging by the titles I guess this is a fairly mellow album?

Mellow? Maybe but only at first blush. There's quite some bite there, too. Best bit is hearing both guys playing outside their usual contexts.

Sunday Herald Sun, 11 June, 2006

Always two masters at work

By: KENNY WEIR

JAZZ

Always

Paul Grabowsky/Bernie McGann

(ABC Jazz)

**** 1/2

In short: Soul brothers make magic for the ages.

THE standards album is such a familiar enterprise in jazz that it requires something special to rise above mere enjoyment to realms of pure pleasure.

Pianist Paul Grabowsky and alto saxophonist Bernie McGann do so in an extraordinary fashion.

For that there are several reasons.

One is timing.

In his notes, Grabowsky confesses to having wanted to record with the saxophonist since first performing with him in 1987.

It's a good thing, then, that it took until now for such ambition to come to fruition, for Always finds two Australian masters at the height of their powers.

Contributing to the project's status as an instant classic is the personality factor illustrated by McGann's choice of material. The album kicks off with God Bless the Child before also wending its way through Lover Man and Night and Day. But the less familiar - In the Chapel in the Moonlight for instance - bespeaks the tastes of a man with a deep and unique love of popular song.

Then there is the album's paradoxically arid yet luscious sound. Defining an Australian jazz sound is never easy, but McGann's sweet and sparse alto saxophone goes as close as anyone to nailing it.

The tunes mostly are tackled at an unhurried pace that nevertheless generates much fire and passion.

There is sheer delight in finding both men in far from familiar territory - McGann making a rare recording without his own band; Grabowsky, usually so focused on original material and concepts, superb in meeting the challenge of good old pop songs.

Finally, as much kudos must go to drummer Simon Barker and bassist Philip Rex for being the right players with the right groove for the moment.

[Bluesman]

what's up with judy bailey? dustygroove has a judy bailey disc from the mid 70s that looks interesting.

If you are talking about a record called "Colours" its excellent. Very cool and funky. Recently been reissued in Aus.

[Guest akanalog]

colours-that's the one.

thanks!