BUTTERCORN LADY / Buttercorn Lady. Recuerdo. Between Races (Chuck Mangione). The Theme (Art Blakey). My Romance (Rodgers-Hart). Secret Love (Webster-Fain) / Chuck Mangione, tp; Frank Mitchell, t-sax; Keith Jarrett, pno; Reggie Johnson, bs; Art Blakey, dm. 1966 / Limelight 180601
This is a reissue on the small Limelight label of an LP originally issued on the Trip label in 1974. Although this was Blakey’s working band of the time and not some “special” concert lineup, it’s still surprising to find any recording of the Jazz Messengers featuring trumpeter Chuck Mangione and pianist Keith Jarrett. Yet this stint with Blakey is what catapulted Mangione to national attention as a jazz artist, and after he left Blakey’s band he formed the Jazz Brothers with his piano-playing brother, Gaspard “Gap” Mangione. Still, he is much more famous for his 1978 Pop Hit Feels So Good than for his jazz accomplishments. Jarrett, of course, is more famous for his subtle, Bill Evans-like pianism, not the Blakey brand of hard bop.
But the real find here is neither Mangione nor Jarrett, but tenor saxist Frank Mitchell. His stint with Blakey, which began in 1964 when he was only 19, made his name, but he was murdered (his body was fished out of the East River, no motive or suspects found) in 1971 while at the height of his fame, having led a memorial concert for John Coltrane. His playing has a certain gutsiness reminiscent of Hank Mobley, crossed with a bit of Coltrane himself.
Interestingly, the title track doesn’t sound all that different from the kind of material Mangione was playing with his own groups. except perhaps that it has a more Latin vibe than usual. The real surprise, in a way, is Jarrett, who here sticks mostly to single-note playing in the right hand. Indeed, after the years in which Blakey had such wonderfully complex sidemen as Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller and Cedar Walton, this incarnation of the Jazz Messengers seems a bit simplified in style, more down-to-earth you might say, and allied much more to popular song styles. Mangione’s long, muted solo on Recuerdo, for instance, is interesting but not nearly as brilliant as the kind of solos that Hubbard or even Lee Morgan played with the group. It is, rather, Mitchell who grabs one’s attention with his multifaceted approach, and during his solo Jarrett strums and picks the strings of the piano behind him before returning to the keyboard, which creates a fascinating mood. Much to my surprise, the normally ebullient Blakey keeps his drums subdued through most of this piece, which fits the mood perfectly. Jarrett then plays a solo mostly using the inner strings of his instrument, which creates a rather eerie sound. Blakey and bassist Reggie Jordan maintain their low-key accompaniment. I really loved this extended Jarrett solo; it’s one of the best I’ve ever heard by him. Even when he reverts to playing the keyboard, he ties the music into what he had been playing on the inner strings. About 3/4 of the way through this piece, Mangione enters on open trumpet, doubles the tempo, and leads into a truly excellent Blakey solo which has more of the sound of African drumming than was usual with him. It also goes heavily into a 12/8 beat, which was rare for him. Jarrett also enlivens Blakey’s “theme” music with a surprisingly boppish solo. (Interestingly, he accomplishes all this on an obviously second-rate instrument. The piano he’s playing sounds wooden and boxy, with little resonance.)
Between Races is a straightahead 4/4 swinger with a typically short-but-catchy Mangione melodic line, but Mitchell, who is the first soloist up here, immediately transforms it into an utterly brilliant piece using a bit of Coltrane’s style to do so, only with a harder edge to his tone. I think he would surely have developed into a major artist had he lived longer. Mangione uses short, choppy phrases in his solo, interspersed with exciting drum breaks which then lead into a typical Blakey solo. Mangione’s muted solo on My Romance is quite lovely; his improvisation also has some very nice moments in it. with Blakey quite busy(but not too loud) behind him. Jarrett is subdued and reflective, sounding more like his usual self here.
This rather short album wraps up with the old standard Secret Love, played at an uptempo with somewhat fractured time in the opening chorus, also played muted by Mangione. Then they jack the tempo way up as Mangione plays what I feel is his best solo on this record, channeling his inner Dizzy Gillespie, and this in turn inspires Mitchell to an excellent bop solo that sounds eerily like Bird on tenor. Jarrett’s solo is, harmonically, almost surreal, which adds great interest to the performance.
Overall, this set is well worth hearing, particularly the second half where everyone seems to click.
—© 2024 Lynn René Bayley
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