First posted on Mark Is Cranky:
If you're at all familiar with jazz bassist Marc Johnson you surely know about his classic 1987 album Second Sight (by his group Bass Desires). On that record Johnson teamed up with Peter Erskine (drums) and the phenomenal guitar duo of Bill Frisell and John Scofield. Second Sight is the kind of record I like to recommend to jazz neophytes. Rather than putting on a lengthy display of chops, the tunes buoy the melodies and motifs with a bunch of snazzy interplay full of humor and energy. Proof that jazz doesn't have to be SeriousMusic™.
All of these years later and Johnson is back at it (OK, he never really went away...check out the fabulous 1998 record The Sound Of Summer Running) with a more traditional jazz lineup and sound: John Scofield on guitar, Eliane Elias (piano), Joe Lovano (tenor sax), Alain Mallet (organ) and the phenomenal Joey Baron on drums. This is a serious group of musicians.
Shades of Jade opens with Johnson and Baron setting up the light groove that will support the angular melody. Scofield and Lovano play that head in smart unison before dropping out to allow for a wide-ranging Elias piano solo. Johnson vamps hard under the piano as Baron (the man...he can destroy the kit with Barondown or Naked City while here he plays just the right notes) drops accents all over the place.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I own no Eliane Elias records. That will be remedied soon as it's become obvious to me that her compositional skills (she wrote or co-wrote six of the ten selections here) go right along with her talents at the piano.
Elias' strengths as player and composer shine on the romantic "Apareceu", where her sultry and passionate solo adds real fire. Her touch and phrasing are just exquisite. There are three more Elias-penned ballads here ("In 30 Hours", "Snow" and "All Yours"). Trust me, that is not too many. I want more.
Article comments
1 - godoggo
Sounds like a great band indeed (though I'm not quites sure I'm sold on Barron, who generally strikes me as rocking more than swinging - on the other hand I've lately been listening to a John Aebercrombie record on which his sounds just perfect, and surprisingly subtle).
I have the first Bass Desires album, which I actually found a little bit disappointing, mainly because the recording was too clean and pretty. I think there's not much point in Frisell without raunch. The album Frisell and Sco did together under the latter's leadership, with Barron and Charlie Haden was better overall despite weaker tunes; I forget the title, so just a moment while I google...googling, googling...hmm, doubtless I'd find it eventually, but...hey, just a moment, it should be right here, next to the desk...nope, oh well.
Anyway, you might want to check out Elias's "Sings Jobim" album. She's a wonderful bossa nova singer as well as a fine pianist.