And for jazz listeners who missed Jack Wilkins' outstanding 1977 release, Merge, the kickoff fourth dimension out, or for those who are equally good immature to recall it, Reunion brings dorsum that grouping for a brief instant inwards time.
It wasn't easy. Schedules conflicted in addition to everyone was busy, but they constitute a slot when they could record. Try equally they might, Wilkins in addition to the producer weren't able to pivot downwards saxophonist Michael Brecker for to a greater extent than than ii tracks. But the "what if" questions most the add-on of Michael Brecker are answered on Reunion, for the Brecker brothers exercise squad upwards on "Kiwi Bird" in addition to Horace Silver's "Break City." The residual of the CD consists of the personnel who created such a pearl 24 years before, i that awaited uncovering past times a guitarist who recorded equally good infrequently equally a leader.
The original grouping grew incrementally, at kickoff consisting of Wilkins in addition to bassist Eddie Gomez when they played at Sweet Basil. Later, Jack DeJohnette in addition to Randy Brecker joined in. The lawsuit was/is a distinctive group, each fellow member alongside his ain personal sound. Yet, they all intuitively empathise the value of interaction in addition to spontaneity. In fact, this grouping is i representative where the beat department leads the horn, thus recognizable are their styles. Gomez' total virtuosic audio inwards directly recognizable, no thing where he performs. DeJohnette developed his ain private approach to the drums that, similar all nifty drummers', enlarges the pregnant of each tune through texture in addition to pulse.
Often, the genre of selection is bop, which makes sense due to the influence of musicians similar Horace Silver upon members of the group. Recalling their operate inwards his group, the Brecker brothers perform Silver's "Break City," in addition to Michael inwards item stretches out inwards total ascendance of his instrument.
But Wilkins had to a greater extent than inwards hear than a re-creation of his previous album. "Reunion" the vocal is a minor-keyed excursion that invites unopen listening equally the musicians improvise over its modal structure. Wilkins develops the tune equally through successive choruses of atmospheric embellishment, which are notable inwards add-on for Gomez' in addition to DeJohnette's irresistible rhythmic receive that they build.
The slower tunes include Gomez' "Scott," a 3/4 tribute to his boy that he bows inwards introduction earlier Wilkins joins inwards to intermission out the melody. Gomez' in addition to Wilkins' solos are the highlights of the tune equally they demonstrate mastery of their instruments that has exclusively improved over the years. Wilkins ends the CD alongside the standards "But Beautiful" in addition to "All The Things You Are," "But Beautiful" beingness a trio setting that lets Wilkins relax equally he explores the tunes harmonic richness.
After all of these years, the Wilkins grouping is intact in addition to inspiring. If their now-busy careers foreclose the chance for them to perform live, at to the lowest degree nosotros pick out Reunion to document the group's natural powerfulness to perform, in addition to to communicate, equally if 1977 were exclusively yesterday.
This disc reunites the musicians-guitarist Jack Wilkins, saxophonist Michael Brecker, trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Eddie Gomez, in addition to drummer Jack DeJohnette-featured on Merge, recorded for Chiaroscuro inwards 1977. Since then, to a greater extent than than twenty years later, each has larn i of the most respected players on his instrument. And acre Wilkins is the leader of this date, the other players larn enough of blowing room, in addition to Wilkins, Gomez in addition to Randy Brecker all contribute original material.
On Wilkins’ grooving, upbeat “Kiwi Bird” the Breckers mensuration upwards alongside dynamic, searching solos that prepare the phase for a guitar excursion that includes myriads of beautifully conceived in addition to executed phrases. And on the championship track, a moody, anthemic ballad, Wilkins wields an electrical nylon-string whose sonic properties elevate the overall feel. Gomez’s “Cheeks,” a salute to Dizzy Gillespie, relentlessly bops along, providing a prissy vehicle for a grooving solo past times Wilkins, who specially excels inwards this type of setting, in addition to a burning outing past times Randy Brecker, whose nuances in addition to phrasing ofttimes admit Birks. Balancing the program’s originals are readings of 3 standards, including “All the Things You Are,” whose tune is chucked aside inwards favor of a novel, uptempo, kinetic handling that supports an array of adventurous blowing past times Wilkins in addition to a masterfully expansive solo past times DeJohnette.
While this appointment could pick out been recorded ameliorate (the guitar sounds similar it went directly into the board instead of beingness miked, which influences its musical note in addition to presence), it exclusively slightly detracts from the typically vivid compositions in addition to performances.
Back inwards 1977, guitarist Jack Wilkins led a really rewarding recording date, Merge, that featured trumpeter Randy Brecker in addition to tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker playing straight-ahead jazz. For this reunion date, Wilkins, bassist Eddie Gomez, in addition to drummer Jack DeJohnette are joined throughout (except for the guitarist's characteristic on "But Beautiful") past times Randy Brecker, although blood brother Michael is unfortunately exclusively on ii selections. Wilkins in addition to Randy Brecker pick out many fine solos, in addition to the repertoire consists of v grouping originals, Horace Silver's "Break City," in addition to 3 standards. Although non reaching the heights of Merge (it is a compassion that Michael Brecker was non along for the whole project), this is generally a high-quality quartet outing of fine post-bop jazz. Worth exploring.
Track Listing:
1. Kiwi Bird (6:46) [Jack Wilkins]
2. Reunion (8:30) [Jack Wilkins]
3. Break City (6:03) [Horace Silver]
4. Moontide (8:31) [Randy Brecker]
5. Yours Is My Heart Alone (7:24) [Lehar]
6. Scott (8:27) [Eddie Gomez]
7. Cheeks (7:42) [Eddie Gomez]
8. But Beautiful (4:42) [Burke, VanHeusen]
9. All The Things You Are (7:23) [Hammerstein, Kern]
Personnel:
Jack Wilkins (guitar);
Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone);
Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn);
Eddie Gomez (bass);
Jack DeJohnette (drums).
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