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Funky Cha |
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Harvie
S’s inimitable, fearless and fun-filled approach to Latin jazz reaches a new
pinnacle on Funky Cha. The bassist’s musical sensibilities couldn’t be
summed up better than in the opening track, a re-visioning of Monk’s
“Rhythm-A-Ning”. The bass and Daniel Kelly’s piano pulse out Thelonian
arhythmic fragments over Beaver Bausch’s tappy drum groove, building in
quirky intensity until we’re jumping to find out where they’re going with
this. Jay Collins, the final piece of the puzzle, leaps in with the melody on
tenor and reveals how nicely everything fits together. This
kind of hand-in-glove development has characterized Harvie’s brand of jazz
over the past several years, demonstrating why he’s not only one of the best
bassists in the land but also one heck of a small-group conceptualist. His
Latin beats are definably Latin but consistently fresh; there are no generic mercado
rhythms here. Much of that, of course, is due to the company S keeps. Kelly
slides smoothly between montuno and bebop; Bausch is a subtle drum
master, and the added presence of Chembo and Ernie Colon pushes him ever
higher; Collins is always tasteful and flexible. Only Kelly and tenorman
Scott Robert Avidon, who guests on three tracks, are carryovers from S’s last
album, Texas Rumba, yet the full band sounds as if they have been
together for years. This is a hallmark of musicianship, and one of many
reasons that Funky Cha will impress. Harvie
loves Monk as much as Latin sounds, and the influences meld well on tunes
like “A Bright Moment”, one of the more pensive tracks (until things really
get rolling). He had recorded the tune earlier on New Beginning but
sharply reinvented it for this session. The title track, perfectly named,
Kelly’s gorgeous interpretation of “What Is This Thing Called Love”, and the
tense modernity of “’S’” reflect different facets of this taut ensemble’s
personality. They even succeed at the difficult fusion of jazz and the manic guaracha
rhythm on Kelly’s “Earquake”. Outstanding, as expected. Visit Harvie S on the web. |
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