This date features the owner/operators of the Southport label, pianist
Bradley-Parker Sparrow
and vocalist
Joanie Palatto
, with their bassist
Tatsu Aoki
, in a date with Chicago
jazz
legend
Von Freeman
and his drummer
Michael Raynor
. The feel is relaxed, in the groove and full of surprises. This was the first meeting for a lot of these people, and
Freeman
, who is sued to such encounters, made the most of it. He may not have arranged these tunes, but he plays them like he did. The set opens with a gorgeous vocal number with amazing lyrics by
Palatto
,
"The Thin Line"
; it's a slow groover that is somewhat nourish in its construction, and
adds to the sense of desperation with her dramatic (but very tasteful) vocal that highlights that emotion of desolation and desperation.
plays under the beat, and
Parker-Sparrow
shimmers the melody through the rhythm section. The first third of the disc is rounded out with
"The Sparrow,
" a
bebop
scat-sung groove vehicle for
, with
Raynor
playing double-time throughout. The other notables here, though there isn't a weak cut on the set, are
"Tatsu's Groove,"
built on a bass riff that is extended by
, and
"Mode for Von,"
which features the tenor player in his most soulful setting here. The disc closes with
"Clinton, (George, That Is),"
an in-the-pocket greasy
funk
bit of
soul-jazz
with an
avant-blues
twist.
Von
's always had the
, but it's amazing that these others do -- except for
who has done his share of B3 dates. But these younger cats add plenty of dimension to the standard 4/4
line, particularly
's knotty piano lines that open up with a subtle chromaticism before turning knotty and dark and modal. It's a hot set, and an example of how fine the music coming out of Chicago is right now. ~ Thom Jurek