Three Wishes

Dexter Gordon was hanging out with Nica when the subject of three wishes came up and he shared with her his one wish:

  1. “The things I want you can’t put in your book.”

*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter

SUITE TABU 200

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Requisites

Mean What You Say ~ Thad Jones-Pepper Adams Quintet | By Eddie Carter

This morning’s album offered for your consideration brings together two of my favorite musicians, Thad Jones and Pepper Adams, for their only quintet release. Mean What You Say (Milestone MSP-9001) is their only collaborative effort and was recorded around the same time as The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra album. Both titles hit the stores in 1966. Thad is heard exclusively on flugelhorn, and Pepper is on baritone sax. The supporting cast is a first-class rhythm section: Duke Pearson on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. The program consists of six originals and two popular songs. My copy is the original US Stereo pressing.

Side One opens with the title tune, Mean What You Say, the first of four originals by Thad Jones and one of his prettiest tunes from Presenting Thad Jones-Mel Lewis & The Jazz Orchestra. The quintet opens with a wonderful melody. Duke has the first solo and states his case comfortably. Mel makes a brief comment before Thad’s relaxing statement. Pepper provides the song’s happy ending in the closer ahead of the reprise and the ending. H and T Blues begins with the ensemble’s smooth theme. Pepper takes the lead on the opening solo and cooks, then Thad thrives on the following reading. Duke swings with a smooth tone next, and Ron has a brief word before the closing chorus.

The group takes a spirited turn on Wives and Lovers by Burt Bacharach and Hal David with a lively melody. Thad launches the first reading slowly, then picks up speed to a brisk conclusion. Pepper answers him passionately, and Duke serves up a sparkling statement preceding the closing chorus and quick stop. Bossa Nova Ova is a festive tune with an infectious melody that’s sure to have your toes tapping along to the beat. Pepper is up first; his bubbling enthusiasm lets us know we’re in for a treat. Thad takes a gorgeous solo next; then Duke provides a perfect ending in a well-constructed performance into the song’s reprise and climax.

Side Two gets underway with No Refill. It’s a pretty song that flows like a summer breeze, beginning with the quintet’s theme. Ron starts with a beautiful first reading, and then Thad follows with a leisurely statement. Pepper shines brightly like the sun next, and Duke gives an interpretation as sweet as honey ahead of the theme’s reprise. Little Waltz by Ron Carter is a haunting ballad that opens with the front line’s melancholy melody. Pepper opens with a deeply moving interpretation, followed by Thad’s wonderfully warm statement. Duke is equally polite and respectful next, then Ron walks in last with a lovely finale before the theme’s restatement and tender ending.

Up next is Duke Pearson’s Chant, the pianist first performed on Donald Byrd’s A New Perspective. The ensemble starts slowly for their melody, but the pace picks up for the hearty opening statement by Pepper. Thad comes in next and delivers the second solo efficiently, then Duke delivers the knockout with a splendid performance, leading to the reprise and close. Yes Sir, That’s My Baby by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn is an old song from the twenties that the quintet has fun with in the opening and closing choruses with a ragtime feel. In between are three great solos by Thad, Pepper, and Duke, who are all having a blast playing.

Orrin Keepnews produced Mean What You Say, and Elvin Campbell was the recording engineer. The sound quality is exceptional, with a stunning soundstage that transports listeners to the studio as the quintet works. It’s a pity that this group didn’t get to record again because it’s a terrific studio session worthy of adorning a spot in any jazz library. Thad and Mel would assemble The Jazz Orchestra and Pepper Adams would become a significant member of the band’s early Solid State albums. Duke Pearson was a wonderful bandleader and composer who made his home on Blue Note, and Ron Carter was a member of the Miles Davis Quintet before branching out on his own in the seventies.

If you’re in the mood for an excellent Hard-Bop album and are a fan of either musician, I invite you to consider Mean What You Say by The Thad Jones-Pepper Adams Quintet for a spot in your library. It’s an absolute gem in their discography and a terrific release I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

~ A New Perspective (Blue Note BLP 4124/BST 84124), Presenting Thad Jones-Mel Lewis and The Jazz Orchestra (Solid State SS 18003) – Source: Discogs.com ~ Wives and Lovers, Yes Sir, That’s My Baby – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2023 by Edward Thomas Carter

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LUTHER ALLISON SEXTET FEATURING STEVE WILSON

Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, pianist Luther S. Allison is a rising star who is making his Smoke debut as a leader with a stellar sextet featuring the great saxophonist Steve Wilson. Allison has already gained a reputation working alongside Rodney Whitaker, Jazzmeia Horn, The Baylor Project, Samara Joy, Gregory Tardy, Ulysses Owens Jr. and many more. His original compositions and arrangements are influenced by R&B, country, and gospel. He credits a great deal of his inspiration and musical development to his experience playing in the black church along with the sounds of Earth, Wind & Fire, Anita Baker, Sly and The Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, and Donny Hathaway.

Brandon Woody – trumpet

Steve Wilson – alto saxophone

Joe Giordano – trombone

Luther Allison – piano

Jonathon Muir-Cotton – bass

Michael Reed – drums

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CYNTHIA SCOTT FEATURING HOUSTON PERSON

“In a rich, soulful voice, she sings messages of hope and compassion.” – Jazziz
Cynthia Scott, a soulful, Grammy-nominated vocalist, leads a swinging quintet featuring the legendary tenor saxophonist Houston Person. Scott worked with Ray Charles as a Raelette before launching her successful solo career and subsequently performing with Hank Crawford, David “Fathead” Newman, Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., and many others. JazzTimes says Scott blends “the sinewy grit of Gladys Knight and the sophisticated sass of Shirley Horn” with “nods to such idols as Carmen, Ella, Sarah, and Dinah.” The Chicago Tribune called her “a mesmerizing vocalist.”
Houston Person is a very special guest with this quintet. All About Jazz says, “Whatever imponderable talent it takes to stay at the top of one’s game for almost six decades, as Person has, he still has it in abundance.”

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DEVIN PHILLIPS QUARTET

Devin Phillips, Saxophones | Kiran Raphael, Piano | Eric Gruber, Bass | Tyson Stubelek, Drums
Born and reared in New Orleans, Devin Phillips’s intense affair with the saxophone began at the age of eight. At 14, he was accepted into the prestigious New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, whose alumni include Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and Nicholas Payton. There, trained in music theory and multi-styles composition, he graduated in 2000 with top honors. He has also tutored under clarinetist and educator Alvin Batiste. Like many budding young horn players form the Big Easy, he put his time in playing with the local brass bands in a traditional process of initiation in the musical process. Devin Phillips has paid his dues performing, touring and recording with top jazz artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, The Headhunters, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, musician Lenny Kravitz, and Los Hombres Caliente, with whom he recorded two award-winning albums.
His reputation as a sax man with intricate and rhythmically innovative sounds made him a popular feature at jazz festivals: France’s Jazz de Vien Festival; Tokyo’s JVC Jazz Festival; Itanbul’s The Ruins; Spain’s Barcelona Jazz Festival; the Netherlands’ North Sea Jazz and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. In 2005, Phillips formed New Orleans Straight Ahead. But in August, Hurricane Katrina muted the music. With all gone, save his sax, and his family scattered throughout the U.S., Phillips evacuated to Portland and reformed New Orleans Straight Ahead with other musician evacuees. Phillips and took advantage of a program created by the PDXJazz Festival in partnership with Azumano Travel, which invited jazz musicians affected by the hurricane to come to Portland with their families, either for temporary shelter or for good. The invitation included free transportation to Portland, temporary housing, and access to an active jazz network with performance and workshop opportunities. Over the course of six months, more than 50 New Orleans musicians traveled to Oregon, a dozen musicians, including Phillips, have decided to remain in Portland. Since arriving, Phillips has performed at a number of local clubs and appreciated the opportunity to be part of the Portland Jazz Festival. Phillips says that opening the festival with “Amazing Grace,” talking with McCoy Tyner and being asked to stand in for one of Eddie Palmieri’s frontline players were high points for him.

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