opis: JazzTimes: The trinity of organist Sam Yahel, saxophonist Joshua Redman and drummer Brian Blade has become an interesting association. The mission of the group shifts depending on who sits in the director’s chair. And indeed that leadership role shifts. The group began as a cooperatively run unit known as Yaya3, but now it has at least two other incarnations. When Redman leads the trio it is known as the Joshua Redman Elastic Band. Here we have Yahel running the show.
Under Redman, the band has been soulful and almost funky. (Well, what else should a saxophonist do, when he wants to get down, but call on an organist?) Under Yahel the tone is totally different. His instrument may be the Hammond B3, but he approaches it with a pianist’s mindset. No disciple of Jimmy Smith is he. No circular phrases or repeated notes. No over-the-top washes or crowd-pleasing trills. In short, no gimmicks. Instead he plays with maturity and grace, and with latent energy. The chatter between Brian Blade’s sticks and Yahel’s pedals is punctuated by bursts from his keys and Redman’s horn on the title tune, which opens the session. Redman and Yahel play a sort of hide-and-seek on the steamer “Saba,” following each other around the twists and bends in the road.
For all the interplay, the disc’s climax arrives on “A Paz,” four-and-a-half minutes of unaccompanied solo work by Yahel. His foot plays a simple bass line, his left hand grabs the chords, and his right hand picks out the melody and then solos with a pianist’s sensibility. It is as elegant as anything you’ve ever heard from an organist. Larry Young would be proud. Now, how about a whole disc of Yahel alone? By Steve Greenlee
allaboutjazz.com - * * * * 1/2: Much as organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart have worked together for many years—specific direction resting with the name heading the marquis—so, too, have keyboardist Sam Yahel, saxophonist Joshua Redman and drummer Brian Blade been working together under a variety of monikers over the past five years. Whether it's the cooperative Yaya3, Redman's Elastic Band or the Sam Yahel Trio, what differentiates each group is who chooses/contributes the material and, in the case of Redman's Elastic Band, a greater emphasis on electronics.
Yahel's stripped down organ-sax-drums trio of Truth and Beauty is closer in complexion to Yaya3 than Elastic. But with original material all from the organist's pen, and the covers—Ornette Coleman's "Check Up, Paul Simon's rarely covered "Night Game and the Gilberto Gil/Joao Donato standard, "A Paz — chosen by Yahel, this is clearly his show. That said, one can't escape the synchronicity that's evolved with this trio, whatever the broader concept. It may be Yahel's date, but when it comes to the performance, it's as collaborative as any of the trio's other efforts.
It's hard to believe that Yahel's disposition, before this trio formed in residence at New York's Small's, was towards the centrist mainstream. Seeing him in performance with Redman at the 2005 Ottawa International Jazz Festival, the shaggy haired and bearded Yahel looked more like a jamband player than staunch traditionalist. Truth and Beauty doesn't exactly swing in a conventional sense, and Yahel's approach to the Hammond B3 is largely removed from the soul-jazz tradition, but he's clearly spent serious time wood-shedding. Still, the music on this disc owes as much to the music and rhythms of Africa, Cuba and Brazil as it does the American jazz tradition, with Yahel's closest peers being more adventurous organists like Goldings and Gary Versace, by way of Dan Wall.
The material is largely sketch-based, providing all three the opportunity to stretch. Blade rarely solos, but his free-wheeling approach makes him a conversational equal throughout. Redman, who's returned to an all-acoustic setting with Back East (Nonesuch, 2007), continues to prove that the promise of his early 1990s leap to fame has only truly become fully realized since the turn of the millennium.
The gospel tinge of Simon's "Night Game and open-endedness of Coleman's "Check Up are balanced by the more abstract yet unequivocally lyrical "Man O' War, irregularly-metered "Bend the Leaves and brighter- tempo'd "Saba. Throughout, Yahel stretches the boundaries of convention for his instrument, and demonstrates an adventuresome spirit that makes for an exciting ride.
Yahel's boldest move, however, comes with his solo rendition of the elegant "A Paz. Solo piano is commonplace, solo organ less-so. Yahel's use of dynamics and nuanced expression make this a definitive if unconventional reading, cementing Truth and Beauty's position as one of the most compelling organ-trio discs of the past few years. By JOHN KELMAN
allmusic.com: As pianist Brad Mehldau mentions in his lengthy and well thought-out liner notes, organist Sam Yahel, tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman and drummer Brian Blade each have the ability to sound like themselves no matter what the setting or the dominant style. Yahel is one of the most original organists of his generation for even when his tone recalls Jimmy Smith, his choice of notes does not. Redman and Blade also have original sounds and the three have played together on numerous occasions, often under the saxophonist's leadership. On Truth and Beauty, they perform six of Yahel's originals and three obscurities including Ornette Coleman's challenging "Check Up" and Paul Simon's relatively lightweight but lyrical "Night Game." Redman and Yahel blend together particularly well, with the ensembles logically leading to the solos and lots of close interaction. While none of the individual originals have memorable themes, the set of complex post-bop has a definite charm that grows by Scott Yanow
Editor's Info: Besides showcasing organist Sam Yahel's talents as a composer, "Truth And Beauty" highlights the easy rapport Sam, saxophonist Joshua Redman and drummer Brian Blade have developed over the last six years. Compositions by Paul Simon, Ornette Coleman and Gilberto Gil round out the project beautifully, helping to expand the frontiers of the classic organ trio. Yahel has played and/or recorded with Benny Golson, Maceo Parker, Lou Donaldson, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Joe Lovano and many others. He performed and was a producer on Joshua Redman's Grammy nominated recording "Momentum." He has three recordings out as a leader and recently won Downbeat's poll of "Rising Star" on the organ for the third straight year.
ORIGIN82479
Opis
Wydawca
Origin Records (USA)
Artysta
Sam Yahel / Joshua Redman / Brian Blade
Nazwa
Truth And Beauty
Instrument
hammond
Zawiera
CD
chat
Komentarze (0)
Na razie nie dodano żadnej recenzji.
error
Chwilowo nie możesz polubić tej opinii
feedback
Zgłoś komentarz
Czy jesteś pewien, że chcesz zgłosić ten komentarz?
check_circle
Zgłoszenie wysłane
Twój komentarz został wysłany i będzie widoczny po zatwierdzeniu przez moderatora.
error
Twoje zgłoszenie nie może zostać wysłane
Napisz swoją opinię
check_circle
Recenzja została wysłana
Twój komentarz został dodany i będzie widoczny jak tylko zatwierdzi go moderator.