04 December 2009
	JAZZ CD REVIEW Two bass hit By Don Albert

The following CD is for those who enjoyed the wonderful trio of saxman Joshua Redman when they played at the 2008 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. Compass (Nonesuch) has Redman working within either the trio format of saxophone, bass and drums or the double trio using two drummers and two bass players. The groups are made up of the following musicians: Redman (tenor and soprano saxophone), Larry Grenadier and Reuben Rogers (bass), Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson (drums). Redman once said: "The spirit of jazz is the spirit of the moment." And this CD is all about that spirit of complete improvisation. I don't mean free-jazz: the playing is tough and intense, pushing the players to come out of their shells and become completely involved in the moment. There's a lot of excellent music here, but the listener has to listen with intensity. This is not background music. I love New Orleans, so I enjoy the music of the Crescent City. Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch) looks at many aspects of its music. The pianist is backed by Don Byron (clarinet), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Marc Ribot (acoustic guitar), David Piltch (bass) and Jay Bellerose (drums), plus special guests Brad Mehldau (piano) and Joshua Redman (tenor sax). "Egyptian Fantasy" has short but good solos from Payton and Byron, before moving into a piano solo reminiscent of a classy bordello. "Dear Old Southland", played by the duo of Toussaint and Payton, is alone worth the price of the CD; it's magic music. Payton shines again on "Singin' the Blues", while "West End Blues" features a solo from Ribot underpinned with Django roots. I also dig his playing on "Blue Drag". On "Winin' Boy Blues", Brad Mehldau joins Toussaint for a piano duet. Byron plays the melody of "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" with typical New Orleans piano accompaniment from the leader, who is also superb on the title track, "Bright Mississippi", written by Thelonious Monk. "Day Dream" is a feature for Redman's tenor playing, which he executes with aplomb. Toussaint handles the vocal on "Long, Long Journey", which also has the guitar interacting with some rolling piano before the guitar returns for a solid solo. The acoustic guitar is also used in the duet with piano on "Solitude". I loved this CD, which, by the way, is not Dixieland but pure, good music steeped in the New Orleans tradition. It's miraculous such beauty has grown out of the ruins of Katrina.