Excellent But Short
John Tapscott | Canada | 12/14/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Bud Shank is often thought of as a member of the west coast cool jazz school but for several decades he has been trying hard to leave that tag behind (and it was never entirely accurate). Shank plays alto sax exclusively on this CD reissue of a 1984 Muse LP. He plays with fire and intensity throughout, not only on the uptempo tracks which dominate the CD, but also on the ballad "Never, Never Land" and his own samba, "Cotton Blossom." Bud even exhibits some grit in his sound on this superbly recorded and mixed CD. The rhythm section of Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and Al Foster is cohesive and supportive, and certainly one of the best Bud has ever recorded with. My favorite track is Walter Norris' "Space Maker" which opens with Bud droning over static harmony and broken rhythms before bursting into an up-tempo romp through the changes of "I Got Rhythm." Other outstanding tracks are "Bouncing With Bud (Powell)" and Charlie Parker's blues "Visa." Overall, this an an excellent recording and recommended to all fans of Shank and the alto sax. There is one caution, however, and that is the playing time, which at 34 minutes is short, even by LP standards. It's a bit mystifying, since with musicians of this calibre, extra choruses mean more, not less interest."
One of Bud's best
Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 07/24/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bud Shank was a man on a mission when he set out to cut this album in November of 1984. He felt he was being pigeonholed by record producers, whom he felt saw him only as a classically oriented jazz flutist. He loved playing the alto sax, though, and decided on this outing he would only play alto and in a way few had heard him play before (at least on record) - as a hard bop practitioner. He plays using a raspy tone, and his approach is punchy and attacking; it's quite a change for the usually smooth-sounding, laid back Shank, but change is often good. Six of the seven tunes are taken up tempo, and Bud plays in, out, and all around each one. I'LL BE SEEING YOU and NICA'S DREAM are straight-ahead swingers, with Bud producing an edgy sound on NICA. COTTON BLOSSOM is an original by Shank, based on a tune he'd recorded in the `60s, and its Latin tinge is attractive and well-grounded by drummer Al Foster. Kenny Barron is on piano and his fluid playing is a good contrast to Bud's angularity. BOUNCING WITH BUD (Bud Powell, that is) is yet another barnburner in the hard bop tradition and has a good Ron Carter bass solo and a long fading coda. Shank declared he was going to "be myself" on this date, and one can't help but applaud his decision. It's a rousing CD, worthy of any modern jazz fan's attention."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1