Bird Songs is a collection of 11 tracks centered around the music of Charlie Parker. This is, however, no mere homage. Instead. it is a reinvestigation, examination and developmental exploration of not just the music Parker played, but also of the construction of the elements assembled by Bird in crafting these timeless classics.
Moments of incredible power balanced by the utmost in beauty abound throughout the disc, tied together by an inquisitive spirit of rediscovery. These are tunes every jazz musician must learn as they grow and develop. To re-explore them at a high level and to find ways of invigorating into the 21st century seems logical, so why has it been done so rarely?
Highlights include a powerfully Elvin Jones-ish out chorus at the end of “Moose The Mooche.” Lovano’s tenor doesn’t guide Brown and Mela, he pushes them through force of character and tumbrel strength. The flipside is a delicate elucidation on “Loverman.” Here Lovano’s dancing G mezzo soprano saxophone lines are balanced by the totally grounded yet outwardly bound comping of Weidman. The polyrhythms of the percussion are kept in focus by Spalding’s crafty lines. You almost don’t notice her, until her delightfully playful solo, because of the superb craftsmanship of her abilities. If there is a single member who keeps everyone “on the page,” even when they go off it, it is her way of finding the perfect contrapuntal foil to Lovano’s questing nature even when the drummers find themselves locked into rolling thunder punctuations that remind every one of jazz’s communicative nature.
Overall, this is music that not only moves the first time listener, but the jazz aficionado as well. You don’t have to look for the subtle interplay between the drummers and Lovano’s single lines in the trio rendition of “Ko Ko” to appreciate how beautiful or rich the music is. But for those who do wish to explore further levels of musical evolution, hold on tight, because this is a wonderfully exciting wild ride.
01. Passport
02. Donna Lee
03. Barbados
04. Moose The Mooche
05. Lover Man
06. Birdyard
07. Ko Ko
08. Blues Collage
09. Dexterity
10. Dewey Square
11. Yardbird Suite
Joe Lovano: Aulochrome, G mezzo soprano, straight alto and tenor saxophones
James Weidman: Piano
Esperanza Spalding: Bass
Otis Brown III: Drums
Francisco Mela: Drums
info blue note |
spotify |
buy |
