Deep into this album is the track "Just a Second to Catch My Breath." It could've been the album title as Garrett unleashes a torrid state of the saxophone address with this no-holds-barred, high-energy session, and he doesn't slow down until the aforementioned ballad, track seven. With the exception of the semi world-beat groove of "Native Tongue," this record couldn't be more unlike Garrett's 2002 album, Happy People, if they were recorded a decade apart. Amazingly, most of these tunes were recorded the same time as his prior record, during the week of September 11, 2001. These are the tracks where Garrett's very capable musicians let go and vented their emotions of that time through their instruments. With producer Marcus Miller, Garrett crafted a record to market with Happy People; on Standard of Language, he and Miller make a statement to add to the jazz lexicon. It's very hard not to draw comparisons to the great John Coltrane Quartet here as Garrett seems to be searching spiritually with his horns and his tone on soprano is rapidly approaching the master range of, say, Wayne Shorter. There's also a serious Miles Davis vibe as "Kurita Sensei" rhythmically references Davis's version of "Footprints," and Charnett Moffett does a dead-on Paul Chambers-styled bowed bass solo on "XYZ." This could be one of the best jazz records of the year. --Mark Ruffin
Tracklist -------- 1. What Is This Thing Called Love? 2. Kurita Sensei 3. XYZ 4. Native Tongue 5. Chief Blackwater 6. Doc Tone's Short Speech 7. Just a Second to Catch My Breath 8. Gendai 9. Standard of Language I II III
0 comentários:
Postar um comentário