- One Flight Down
- The Rubber Man
- Lush Life
- Daydream
- Raincheck
- Seven Minds
- Time After Time
- Hammer Head
- Little Sunflower
Cedar Walton - Piano
Vincent Herring - Tenor (Tracks 1&2)
David Williams - Bass
Joe Farnsworth - Drums
Cedar Walton was around along time before
he received the status he so richly deserves,
this may be because he was such a superb
backing player in the bands of
J J Johnson, Art Blakey,
Art Farmer, Benny Golson and Miles Davis and
that like all the best accompanists, he went
unnoticed! In more recent years he has recorded
some 60 albums, all of which are well worth
listening to, but this one is a gem. He has
mellowed with age and experience and without
doubt, he would rank in most people’s top
five living pianists.
The remaining musicians on
the record are no less important, Vincent
Herring is usually heard on Alto, but he plays
Tenor on the first two tracks with great conviction.
Bass player David Williams
and Drummer Joe Farnsworth are just perfect
for their role in completing the trio featured
on the remainder of the album. The first two
tracks with Herring are Walton originals and
very interesting they are, tuneful and rhythmic
at the same time.
Tracks 3,4&5 are Duke
Ellington, Billie Strayhorn tunes that demand
a lot from the performer, particularly Lush
Life, which has been the downfall of many
a sub-standard performer. Cedar is in sparkling
form here and both the drumming and bass playing
is as good as you will ever hear. Sam Jones
composition Seven Minds comes next, it, it
was originally written for a bass choir project,
but it makes a superb jazz vehicle in the
hands of the trio with David Williams leading
the way on bass. Time After Time, the Sammy
Khan standard is taken faster than usual and
it makes a great jazz piece at this tempo.
Hammer Head is a Wayne Shorter composition,
Cedar remembered it from the time when they
were both in the Jazz Messengers, apparently
it is a recent addition to the trio library
and a good one. The last track is another
which has a connection with one of Cedar’s
previous band’s Freddie Hubbard’s Sun Flower.
This is the best jazz trio
album I have heard in a long time, with the
bonus of a couple of fine quartet tracks with
Vincent Herring. The sound quality is absolutely
out of this world and the sleeve note from
Thomas Conrad, is most informative.
HighNote have come up with
the real deal here as far as jazz is concerned.
My advice is buy it, you won’t be disappointed!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
HighNote HCD7157 
