Search - Wycliffe Gordon, ron westray :: Bone Structure

Beautiful and powerful music

Michael Galai (iggen@inter.net.il) | Tel-Avia, Israel | 03/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw these two trombonists on two consecutive nights last year, and in both preformences, the audience was completely mesmerized by their music - in a small jazz joint, and in a large hall. To hear wycliffe gordon play (beautifully) for 5 minutes on the trombone's mouthpiece(!) was an amazing musical expirience, and I ran out to buy their CD the day after the second show. If you love great jazz, you'll love this cd - innovative, yet classic jazz. If you love j.j. Johnson and Kay Winding, here is a new musical couple to bring the trombone back into the spotlight. The only bad thing to say about these artists is - Hey, you guys, it's been a long time, how about a new album, please?"

Smoothly swingin' bones

Andrzej Grutza | San Francisco, CA USA | 08/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing this 1996 set, I wonder why these two trombonists haven't collaborated further. Ron Westray and Wycliffe Gordon, two members of the old "young lions" contingent, lay out some exemplary grooves and blues on the unwieldy trombone and have loads of fun. The listener will too. Throughout the eleven tunes on this release, Westray and Gordon entertain on a level not unlike the old Jay and Kai records, yet sound virtually nothing like the eponymous boppers they looked to for inspiration. Gordon's "What?!" is an awfully catchy number that shows off some nice harmonic tricks while "It's Time" utilizes warbly tonguing, reminiscent of something out of Duke's era, without sounding dusty and trite. Perhaps the most satisfying element of this recording is that though the pair are obviously skilled masters, they keep it loose and never stop having fun and experimenting with the instrument, sometimes sounding soft and melancholy, sometimes blasting away at will, sometimes imitative of various barnyard animals. The intro to "New Beginnings (Groove Cone)" catches one off-guard with a quirky, probing duet, then settles into a satisfying, lazy groove with nice compliments by drummer Herlin Riley. Add the sparkling piano of Marcus Roberts and "Bone Structure" easily gets a high recommendation. The only question is: when's the follow-up?"