Bobby Watson - Love Remains (Red, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Bobby Watson (as); John Hicks (p); Curtis Lundy (b); Marvin "Smitty" Smith (d)

Recorded November 13, 1986

Bobby Watson (or Robert, as the cover art shows) began his recording career in the late 1970s, after graduating from the University of Miami's School of Music. I lived in Miami at the time and attended concerts given by the jazz program, which boasted students such as Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Carmen Lundy, and Curtis Lundy. I met Bobby Watson's nephew, Craig Bailey, who was also a student at the time. He played his recital tape for me in his dorm room. 

So much for brushes-with-fame stories. Simply put, Love Remains stands as Watson's signature achievement in a very successful career. Brian Morton and Richard Cook, editors of The Penguin Jazz Guide (Penguin Books, 2011) call it a modern masterpiece. "It is absolutely reliable, delivering musical intelligence, fantastic group interplay, high emotion and an almost unearthly beauty" (p. 499). Coming from the two jazz critics whom I respect the most, this is the highest praise imaginable. 

It's interesting also to learn that Watson was given complete freedom by the Italian executive producers to select the musicians for the date, choose the program, and arrange recording in New York - in other words, produce the whole album and send it to Red to be pressed and distributed. It appears that they teach more than just composing and performance in jazz school. 

All but one of the tunes are by Bobby and/or Pamela Watson, and one is by bassist Lundy. Pamela's touch gives the session some real class, which I also hear on Bobby's later album, Quiet as It's Kept (Red, 1999). John Hicks shines on every cut, as he does on so many other albums throughout his career. In short, there is no basis to dispute the Penguin Guide's reviewers. Love Remains is their all-time favorite and one of mine as well