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

Mal Waldron - The Seagulls of Kristiansund (Soul Note, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Mal Waldron (p); Charlie Rouse (ts, fl); Woody Shaw (t, flhn); Reggie Workman (b); Ed Blackwell (d)

Recorded September 16, 1986

The Seagulls of Kristiansund is one of two LPs on Soul Note that capture a live performance of Mal Waldron's quintet with Charlie Rouse, Woody Shaw, Reggie Workman, and Ed Blackwell. The second LP is titled The Git Go. There is also a DVD of the performance, titled Live at the Village Vanguard (Unicorn Video, 2003), which presents one of the songs from the two records and three others. According to Waldron, the band's weeklong engagement at the Vanguard produced enough music for six albums. It would be great to hear all of those performances in a box set some day. 

The music on display is uniformly excellent. Waldron never hurries a performance, and each soloist gets ample space to develop a complete solo. All of the participants were veterans of the jazz scene, and none of them seem concerned about showing off their talents. Rather, they listen to each other and play what fits each tune. The first two cuts are up tempo and played with brio. Shaw's solo on "Judy" is a particular delight.

I chose Seagulls as a favorite mainly for the title tune, which has been a favorite since I first heard it. It's a long, slowly developing piece that includes the sound of waves (Shaw blowing through the trumpet?) and bird calls (Rouse's detached mouthpiece?). Blackwell's small gong makes a distinctive ringing sound heard now and then over the course of the piece. Workman's arco and plucked bass contributions are deep and resonant. This is a special performance from players who all excel at faster tempos but who also know how to make the most out of 26 minutes at a glacial pace. 

The photo is clipped from the cover of the companion The Git Go LP. I also recommend checking out the excellent DVD mentioned above. It puts you right inside the Vanguard itself and shows up-close details for every member of the band. It's worth seeing just for the footage of Blackwell at the drums. 

Ran Blake - Short Life of Barbara Monk (Soul Note, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Ran Blake (p); Ricky Ford (ts); Ed Felson (b); John Hazilla (d)

Recorded August 26, 1986

It may sound strange, but I never fully understood Ran Blake. I've enjoyed hearing his numerous recordings, read about him, and respected his achievements. But understand? Not so easy. 

I recently discovered that I am not alone. None other than Francis Davis, who wrote the liner notes to Short Life of Barbara Monk, confesses that he "finally learned how to listen to him" (In the Moment, p. 238). Since Blake is an intellectual musician, it's useful to have someone like Davis explain some of the more elusive aspects of his music.

On the surface, this is a great album that doesn't depend on cerebral diagnosis to be enjoyed. It's beautifully conceived and executed, the band is exactly what's called for, it's approachable, and it evokes an emotional response from the listener. I highly recommend it as a favorite of the decade. 

Nonetheless, it's helpful to know some of the back story. First of all, Barbara Monk was Thelonious' daughter, who died of cancer in 1984 at the age of 30. Her father died just two years earlier. Blake knew the Monk family well, and he wrote the title piece after dreaming of Barbara, also known as Boo-Boo, ice-skating in New York. According to Davis, the piece makes a "programmatic juxtaposition of timeless folk gaiety and modern atonal brittleness." I agree, but it's more than juxtaposition. Blake is not a dazzling pianist by any means, but every note he plays makes a lasting impression. Blake's limited facility is no barrier to appreciating the "ambivalencies and anxieties that can't be expressed in dialogue," to quote Davis' liner notes again. 

As for the quartet, Ricky Ford is clearly the central figure, and Blake's most accomplished former student. He's more subdued here that on his own albums. As with his work in Abdullah Ibrahim's Ekaya, he subordinates himself to the composer's vision of an album.  

One poignant minor detail: the beautiful cover photo of Ms. Monk was taken by Nica de Koenigswarter, who was a special friend and patron of Thelonious Monk. 

Quest - Quest II (Storyville, 1986)

This post is by Scott and Dan

Dave Liebman (ss, fl); Richie Beirach (p); Ron McClure (b); Billy Hart (d)

Recorded on April 17, 1986

Quest is the name of the quartet co-led by Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach. Quest II follows their first group album, Quest, which was recorded in 1981 and released in 1982 by the Japanese Trio label (later released in the U.S.on Palo Alto and in Denmark on Storyville). Their ninth album, Circular Dreaming, was released in 2012 on the Enja label. Strangely, these four American artists were never recorded by an American record label. 

This short history of a long time span does nothing to describe the sublime interaction that is the core of Quest. Their alchemy can be heard on every track of Quest II, arguably one of the very best jazz albums to be made in the 80s. 

One key to Quest's appeal is the unquestioned virtuosity of each player. We've sung praises for Billy Hart and Richie Beirach elsewhere in this blog. We've also included Dave Liebman's Homage to John Coltrane in our batch of favorites. Bassist Ron McClure is also checked on albums by Stanley Cowell and Joe Locke. Clearly, all members of Quest were among the greatest jazz musicians of the decade. 

In listening to Quest II, it's clear that a higher level of communication is present between and among the quartet's members. All of the compositions on Quest II were written either by Beirach or Liebman. The overall mood shifts from track to track, but the album retains its coherence due to the strength of the players. The music is rather free-floating in places (for example, "The Hollow Man" and "Carissima") but more structured elsewhere (for example "Pendulum"). The closing "Johnny B" is perhaps the most emotionally engaging piece, but all of the compositions are profound in their own ways. Regardless of the composition and style, Quest makes beautiful, absorbing music. 

In 2010, Storyville reissued Quest II as part of the 2-CD set Searching for the New Sound of Be-Bop.

Claudio Fasoli - Welcome (Soul Note, 1987)

This post is by Scott

Claudio Fasoli (ts, ss); Kenny Wheeler (tr, flhn); Jean-François Jenny-Clark (b); Daniel Humair (d)

Recorded on March 26, 1986

Jack Walrath - Wholly Trinity (Muse, 1988)

This post is by Scott

Jack Walrath (tr); Chip Jackson (b); Jimmy Madison (d)

Recorded on March 15 and April 01, 1986

Most likely, Jack Walrath will always be most well-known for his stint with Charles Mingus in the 1970s.  And that's a shame -- because Walrath has continued to make excellent music, both as a leader and sideman, right up to the present day.

Turning our focus to the 1980s, Walrath made two creative and enjoyable LPs for the indie label Stash during the first half of the decade: Revenge of the Fat People (1982) and A Plea for Sanity (1983).  Subsequently, he recorded two more outstanding albums for the fabled Blue Note label, which had only recently been revived after a period of dormancy: Master of Suspense (1987) and Neohippus (1989).  

As strong as these albums were (and continue to be), I think Walrath's finest album of the decade -- and one of the strongest of his entire career -- is Wholly Trinity, recorded for Muse in 1986.  As the album's punning title indicates, the ensemble is pared down to a trio, but the music feels entirely spontaneous and complete; there's no sense whatsoever of missing parts.

Sadly, this superb, somewhat unconventional album may be difficult for some listeners to hear.  As far as I can tell, it has never been available for streaming.  Two of the album's six cuts were included on I Am the Walrath, a 32 Jazz CD compilation of Walrath's Muse recordings.  But anyone who would like to hear the entire album will need to track down a used copy of the original Muse LP or compact disc.  Given the high quality of this exciting music, I think it's well worth the effort.

Karl Berger - Transit (Black Saint, 1987)

This post is by Dan

Karl Berger (p, vib); Dave Holland (b); Ed Blackwell (d)

Recorded August 25 and 26, 1986

Transit is one of the most surprising albums to appear on Giovanni Bonandrini's Black Saint label because it contradicts the label's reputation for free and avant garde music. Transit combines the talents of German pianist/vibist/composer Karl Berger, British bassist Dave Holland, and American drummer Ed Blackwell. The music on Transit is easily approachable and played with particular zest. Holland is in solid mid-career form; Blackwell is one of jazz's most accomplished drummers. Both played on one of Berger's early albums, Tune In (Milestone, 1969), so their meeting on Transit is not as a "super group," despite the super status of each player. 

Berger reportedly left a political career in post WWII Germany to pursue a musical career. Much of his work was based in universities, but he also recorded over 40 albums, beginning in 1967 and continuing to the present. He wrote all the compositions for Transit, which was recorded in upstate New York. 

Berger's approach to composing and playing is basically melodic, as opposed to harmonic. In lay terms, his music usually progresses linearly in single note runs, particularly when he's playing vibes (with two mallets, not four). He plays more chords when playing piano, but the main thrust is melody, note by note. 

On Transit, the style serves the group well. Berger quips in the liner notes that on his first hearing of Blackwell on record, he thought there were four drummers playing, not just one. Blackwell conjures up so many different sounds, it's understandable to mistake him for a larger percussion section. As for Holland's work in the trio context, he's simply one of the very best. He has such great facility, and he can seemingly play anything, at any time, at any speed. But rather than showing off, he remains the solid anchor for the other players. His tone and touch are marvelous and captured well by engineer Tom Mark.

My favorite cut on the album is "Chimney Road," which employs an unfamiliar yet seductively pleasing chord progression. Berger plays his best piano on this cut, and everyone appears to understand the unique nature of the tune. Berger's explanations of each of his compositions are interesting; it's nice to know what the inspirations are. The notion of transition, which pervades the album, refers to the "ever changing realities of life and creativity." Berger views that theme as universal "whether we like it or not."

In addition to Transit, I recommend Berger's 1990 recording on Black Saint, titled Around, using a different group that includes a guitarist. Also, Crystal Fire (Enja, 1991) reunites the trio from Transit. Even more intriguing is Berger's role as co-producer and performer on an album by Larry Chernicoff titled October (Windy Planet, 2002). October is a sonic and artistic beauty that should be explored by any jazz lover.