Joe Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) I recall first picking this one up back in the days (ah, the mid 90's) when I could afford to be something of an OJC completist. Despite the patchy reputation -- only somewhat well-earned, IMO -- of such Prestige jam sessions, I decided to give this release an audience due to the presence of Mal Waldron, acting here too as musical director, which I suppose means supplying charts, and perhaps more (?). In any event, contrary to what Scott Yanow has to say in his AMG write-up, the four altos here are farily easy to distinguish from each other: Woods, thanks to his tone, accents and fluency; Stein for his tone as well, almost tenor-like, and rhythmic conception, sounding too like a translation of an approach to a larger horn; Quill, who, when he drops into the lower registers, introduces a kind of breathy, maybe even sotto voce quality to his playing; and Shihab, because -- IMO -- he's the most consistently inventive and least conventionally Bird-inspired of the soloists here. Take his solo on "Kokochee" (you can guess its derivation): after some expertly constructed bop choruses from Woods and Quill, Shihab crafts a solo that has an almost palpable shape to it, building from fractured phrases to some convoluted melodies that land on the beat laid down by Louis Hayes, then commandeer it. All with this almost rip-sawing tone... or maybe its both sweet and hot, like that tamarind/chili candy... and he's not afraid to thrown some honks in there, either. Or his double-time phases on the bridge on the opening "Pedal Eyes." Or the way he bustles sideways through the rhythmic suspensions on his choruses on the closing "Staggers." Waldron must have been impressed, too, as Sahib participated -- on alto exclusively -- on his MAL/2 sessions later in the year. But this is the record that made we wonder: "Why aren't there more recordings of Shihab on alto sax?" Two other virtues of this recording: 1) Given the number of soloists to accommodate, the performances are rather lougueur-free. The horn players get three to four choruses apiece, at most, and have to make the best of them. Not all the chases escape sounding obligatory (getting the right blend is a matter of some delicacy), but the best are exciting, and feel like natural extensions of the dialogue begun in the solos themselves. 2) Tommy Potter. Saxophone-fu, Charlie Parker-fu, Bob Weinstock-fu, Four Little Brothers-fu. No decapitations, zero breasts, alarming absence of exploding cars and / or trucks. Still, four stars. Joe Bob says check it out. Edited January 21, 2011 by Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 I recall first picking this one up back in the days (ah, the mid 90's) when I could afford to be something of an OJC completist. Despite the patchy reputation -- only somewhat well-earned, IMO -- of such Prestige jam sessions, I decided to give this release an audience due to the presence of Mal Waldron, acting here too as musical director, which I suppose means supplying charts, and perhaps more (?). In any event, contrary to what Scott Yanow has to say in his AMG write-up, the four altos here are farily easy to distinguish from each other: Woods, thanks to his tone, accents and fluency; Stein for his tone as well, almost tenor-like, and rhythmic conception, sounding too like a translation of an approach to a larger horn; Quill, who, when he drops into the lower registers, introduces a kind of breathy, maybe even sotto voce quality to his playing; and Shihab, because -- IMO -- he's the most consistently inventive and least conventionally Bird-inspired of the soloists here. Take his solo on "Kokochee" (you can guess its derivation): after some expertly constructed bop choruses from Woods and Quill, Shihab crafts a solo that has an almost palpable shape to it, building from fractured phrases to some convoluted melodies that land on the beat laid down by Louis Hayes, then commandeer it. All with this almost rip-sawing tone... or maybe its both sweet and hot, like that tamarind/chili candy... and he's not afraid to thrown some honks in there, either. Or his double-time phases on the bridge on the opening "Pedal Eyes." Or the way he bustles sideways through the rhythmic suspensions on his choruses on the closing "Staggers." Waldron must have been impressed, too, as Sahib participated -- on alto exclusively -- on his MAL/2 sessions later in the year. But this is the record that made we wonder: "Why aren't there more recordings of Shihab on alto sax?" Two other virtues of this recording: 1) Given the number of soloists to accommodate, the performances are rather lougueur-free. The horn players get three to four choruses apiece, at most, and have to make the best of them. Not all the chases escape sounding obligatory (getting the right blend is a matter of some delicacy), but the best are exciting, and feel like natural extensions of the dialogue begun in the solos themselves. 2) Tommy Potter. Saxophone-fu, Charlie Parker-fu, Bob Weinstock-fu, Four Little Brothers-fu. No decapitations, zero breasts, alarming absence of exploding cars and / or trucks. Still, four stars. Joe Bob says check it out. A nice review. Thanks for posting. I agree that in general Prestige blowing sessions tend to get a bad rap. I was weaned on the Gene Ammons sessions, and I guess I'm going to have to pull this gem out once more and give it a listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Joe Bob! I consistantly find Sahib Shihab to be one of the more original phrasers in this music, irregardless of instrument. How's Wanda? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted January 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Joe Bob! I consistantly find Sahib Shihab to be one of the more original phrasers in this music, irregardless of instrument. How's Wanda? Wanda's battling a bout of pediculosis, but, other than taking a blow to her vanity, is doing just fine. As ornery as ever. And, yea, Shihab was a carver par excellance. I agree about the rap on the Prestige jams. Waldron is often a common factor / the glue (see several of the aforementioned Ammons dates for additional e.g.) Ditto Teddy Charles, who oversaw some of the label's more interesting conglomerations (COOLIN' with Idrees Sulieman and John Jenkins; OLIO with Thad Jones; Trane's DAKAR.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinmce Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 I frankly haven't heard a Prestige Jam I didn't like. Some, like Olio are truly brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 I frankly haven't heard a Prestige Jam I didn't like. Some, like Olio are truly brilliant. Yes, I love them too. My kind of music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 well these are guys who were in their prime and in a key transitional phase in jazz;I mean, they were all using enclosures to ornament the chords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 well these are guys who were in their prime and in a key transitional phase in jazz;I mean, they were all using enclosures to ornament the chords. What are enclosures? :blush2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) I actually have no idea; someone referred to them on another thread. wait, just looked it up - basically it looks like it refers to tones that surround the main tone - like b and d in relation to C. I think..... Edited January 22, 2011 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Is that like out of tune? Just kidding (I guess). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 all of jazz is out of tune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Per Bud Powell, enclosures are glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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