Rounding out the last of the finds at this weeks trip to the library is this extraordinay "Great Jazz Trio" titled S'Wonderful. It is Hank Jones at now age 85 after heart surgery doing what he always did best and that was jazz. No slowing him down, the music here is all that a jazz fan could wish for.
Since launching the Great Jazz Trio in the 1970s, Hank Jones has been accompanied by many different rhythm sections, though this one, with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Jack DeJohnette, ranks alongside any of them. In spite of a life-threatening diagnosis that resulted in emergency surgery a couple of years earlier, the pianist, 85 at the time of the sessions, is very much at the top of his game. The diverse program delves into standards from the swing era (an explosive "'S Wonderful" and a jaunty take of "Sweet Lorraine"), a subtle arrangement of the gospel-inflected "Moanin'," along with the surprising choice of "Take Five" in a blues-drenched setting. Patitucci's warm arco bass introduces the haunting take of the centuries-old "Green Sleeves," backed by Jones' spacious piano and DeJohnette's delicate percussion, while the leader's inventive improvisation that follows proves that there is plenty of room for exploration of this still popular song.
Track Listing:
1 'S Wonderful
2 Sweet Lorraine
3 Moanin'
4 The Days of Wine and Roses
5 Take Five
6 I Surrender Dear
7 Night Train
8 Lover Come Back to Me
9 Green Sleeves
The Trio:
Hank Jones - Piano
Jack DeJohnette - Drums
John Patitucci - Bass
This is the real deal for jazz fans, no soft syrupy stuff here. Pure American Jazz by the legends who brought it to us. Very highly recommended.
Since launching the Great Jazz Trio in the 1970s, Hank Jones has been accompanied by many different rhythm sections, though this one, with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Jack DeJohnette, ranks alongside any of them. In spite of a life-threatening diagnosis that resulted in emergency surgery a couple of years earlier, the pianist, 85 at the time of the sessions, is very much at the top of his game. The diverse program delves into standards from the swing era (an explosive "'S Wonderful" and a jaunty take of "Sweet Lorraine"), a subtle arrangement of the gospel-inflected "Moanin'," along with the surprising choice of "Take Five" in a blues-drenched setting. Patitucci's warm arco bass introduces the haunting take of the centuries-old "Green Sleeves," backed by Jones' spacious piano and DeJohnette's delicate percussion, while the leader's inventive improvisation that follows proves that there is plenty of room for exploration of this still popular song.
Track Listing:
1 'S Wonderful
2 Sweet Lorraine
3 Moanin'
4 The Days of Wine and Roses
5 Take Five
6 I Surrender Dear
7 Night Train
8 Lover Come Back to Me
9 Green Sleeves
The Trio:
Hank Jones - Piano
Jack DeJohnette - Drums
John Patitucci - Bass
This is the real deal for jazz fans, no soft syrupy stuff here. Pure American Jazz by the legends who brought it to us. Very highly recommended.
