1. Proem: Ahoy Troy
2. Lady Bird: Here’s Lookin’ at You Penelope
3. Maiden Voyage: Farewell Mentor
4. Beware Chameleons Bearing Watermelons
5. Speak Like a Child Hermes
6. Good Bait: Lotus Eaters Only
7. Sirens Chasing a Butterfly
8. If You Could See Me Now Homer
9. Our Delight Calypso
10. Soultrane
11. Dolphin Dance
12. Boppin’ on Canteloupe Island
13. Vein Melter Cyclops!
14. A Blue Time
15. The Homecoming: A Jazz Coda
Steve Waterman – Trumpet, flugelhorn
Martin Shaw - Trumpet, flugelhorn
Mark Nightingale - Trombone
Dave O’Higgins – Tenor sax, soprano sax
Andy Panayi - Baritone sax, tenor sax
Gareth Williams - Piano
Alec Dankworth - Bass
Clark Tracey - Drums
Frank Ricotti – Vibraphone, percussion
Frank Holder – Vocals, percussion
Some
young jazz musicians might be accused of being
ignorant of jazz tradition, but this certainly
doesn’t apply to Steve Waterman. His awareness
and appreciation of his jazz predecessors
has already found fruit in an album devoted
to the music of Benny Golson and Wayne Shorter.
Now comes this CD paying tribute to Tadd Dameron
and Herbie Hancock. And apparently there’s
a third album due for release next year, dedicated
to Gerry Mulligan and Chick Corea.
Steve
Waterman uses a variety of permutations of
ten musicians to perform tunes written by
Dameron and Hancock. But he turns the performances
into a journey through various events in the
classical story of Odysseus – hence the subtitle
"A Jazz Odyssey". So, for example,
Tadd Dameron’s Lady Bird has the added
title of Here’s Lookin’ at You Penelope,
referring to Odysseus’s wife (this track has
some particularly powerful baritone sax from
Andy Panayi). Herbie Hancock’s Vein Melter
is employed as the basis for three tracks
(numbers 1 and 15 book-ending the album, and
track 13 referring to the one-eyed Cyclops).
Don’t
be too distracted by the concept. The main
appeal of this album lies in Steve Waterman’s
imaginative arrangements and their playing
by a team of top-class British musicians,
who also contribute some fine solos. Steve
opens the album with searing trumpet, and
also features strongly on Herbie Hancock’s
Maiden Voyage.
The
title-track (a Dameron composition) has more
fireworks from Waterman, who simply duets
with bassist Alec Dankworth on Soultrane.
Canteloupe Island is unexpectedly played
at a fast up-tempo, with refreshing vibes
from Frank Ricotti. Mark Nightingale’s trombone
is commanding in track 4 (a version of Watermelon
Man), while Tadd Dameron’s Good Bait
is given a tight West-Coastish arrangement.
The
recording quality is excellent and this is
altogether an enterprising album, performed
with skill as well as respect for the composers
it celebrates.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Mainstem
MSTCD 0041
