"Honky Tonk Woman" as an organ trio (Ries, Goldings and Watts) works better than expected. I've heard Charlie Watts in a jazz context before ("From One Charlie" being the first) so it's not surprising to hear him anchoring the swing.
The melody of "Street Fighting Man" is zipped off at a quick pace in the middle of a Brazilian strut. The soloing here is inspired (hats off to Edward Simon on piano) and for a while you'll forget that this is a Stones classic...until that familiar melody pops back in.
There are a handful of tunes on this collection with vocals. Sheryl Crow joins Keith on swirling background vocals for "Slipping Away". Lisa Fischer shadows the melody line of "Gimme Shelter" and adds backing vocals with a "Great Gig In The Sky" feel. And, in what is both the least and most transformed song, Norah Jones and Bill Frisell anchor an ultra-sultry "Wild Horses". I tell ya, Frisell's guitar was made for that voice.
Speaking of Frisell, his atmospheric guitar is all over the pensive "Waiting On A Friend" and a gorgeous "Ruby Tuesday", the latter performed as a duet with Ries.
The possibilities inherent in Stones jazz arrangements are best illustrated by the expansive solos taken by Ben Monder (guitar) and Bill Charlap (piano) during "Paint It Black". As Brian Blade forces the rhythmic issue, those guys just take off.
The least jazzified tune on The Rolling Stones Project is the second version of "Honky Tonk Woman", labeled "(Keith's Version)". After a sexy vocal intro (thank you again Lisa Fischer), Keith's signature guitar raunch kicks in. From there the melody is handled by Ries and the chorus blooms with Fischer's vocals. Keith provides a blistering guitar solo. Bliss ensues. Fischer ends the tune with the vocal aside/come on "You better play boy..."
The Rolling Stones Project ends appropriately with the Ries original "Belleli". It's his tribute to the Stones' lyrical side and is dedicated to his twin girls, born during the 40 Licks tour.
Rest assured, this record is no Stones-at-the-grocery-store-on-Musak kind of thing. It is instead a successful experiment by an inventive jazz mind. In some ways, it was quite a risk taking on such famous source material...but hey, if it was good enough for Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie, then it's good enough for me.
Article comments
1 - JR
I don't know, it does seem to skirt awfully close to smooth jazz in places; although that may be down to my general reaction every time I hear soprano sax.
Still, there are enough left turns - "Paint It Black" (did they change the time signature?), "Street Fighting Man" (which I found barely recognizable) and "Ruby Tuesday" - to make it worthwhile.
How about Bill Charlap and Ben Monder? I didn't know Charlap could tear it up like that, and I hadn't heard of Monder before - I'll have to pick up some of his stuff.
2 - Mark Saleski
i'd heard of Monder but hadn't heard much of him.
Charlap was smokin'.
and i know what you mean about the soprano sax...damn that kenny g!
3 - Jim
Interesting takes on some of the songs, I like the more experimental approaches rather than the "smooth" run throughs.
It's funny I was just reading an interview with Keith who said most of the Stones were into a jazz approach in trying to find variations in the themes of some of the old warhorses Stones songs.
4 - v32
Funny. I played the cd for non-jazz folks and a couple of them (who actually like smooth jazz and the Stones, go figure) thought it sounded like Kenny G (when Ries played the soprano) I tried to point out that Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, etc played the same instrument and that Ries doesn't do the trite circularly breathy repetitive drivel that Mr. G has laid on the less-discerning world. Then again, listen to Wayne's "Native Dancer" - I played it for said listeners and they, again, thought it was Kenny G. Shame that one lone guy can ruin an instrument (and a noun - smooth - Getz, Miles and Desmond were smooth when smooth and slick were positive descriptions) for the rest of us.
The nice thing about this cd is the diversity. According to Ries, Stones fans are coming to his gigs in droves and digging it. If "Smoothies" and rockers and folks like us who dig the edgier stuff can all enjoy this disc, he's done what he's set out to do: expose the possibilities and depth of the Stones music and bring a few new folks to the jazz side. Good man. Interesting too that, in addition to the jazz ringers, just about everyone in the Stones touring band is on the disc - bassist Darryl Jones, 3/4 of the horn section, 3/4 of the main quartet, 2/3 of the backing vocalists (all but Chuck Leavell - who recorded a tune but it was never finished - Mick, Bobby Keys and Blondie Chaplin.) Speaking of Chuck his new cd Southscapes has Tim Ries on a few tracks. The cool thing is how Ries mixes up the rock players and the jazzers with no seams showing.
5 - Bart
I bought this album tonight based on the interview and playing segment with Tim Ries I heard this morning on KLOS. I am listening to Slipping Away right now. I love the jazz take on these songs. Very nice thus far.