Search - Bud Shank, Bill Mays, Alan Broadbent :: Crystal Comments

Unusual trio setting reveals new facets of six standards

J. Levinson | Media, PA USA | 06/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This unusual trio setting reveals new facets of the six standards presented. Bud Shank later abandoned the flute to concentrate fully on alto, but his flute chops were at their peak in October 1979 when this set was recorded. Pianists Bill Mays and Alan Broadbent provide a delicate yet precise rhythmic foundation, occasionally lapsing to a duo when the flute drops out to grant the keyboards more solo space. Broadbent plays a Fender Rhodes and Mays the piano except for "Glocca Morra", where they switch. The lack of bass and drums gives this set an ethereal quality that's perhaps more suited to relaxed Sunday morning than Saturday night listening, but the players do work up a good bit of steam on the uptempo numbers ("Scrapple", "Solar", and "Green Dolphin Street"), where they can fully display their advanced hard-bop abilities."

Unusual setting, but it works!

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 08/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A trio consisting of flute and two pianos (one being electric) is not your run-of-the-mill setting, but the results make for interesting listening. Bud Shank is on flute; Bill Mays, piano; and Alan Broadbent, electric piano, and the interplay achieved between these guys is amazing. Three tracks in particular stand out. SCRAPPLE FROM THE APPLE is taken way up-tempo; everyone solos magnificently, but Mays pushes it to a higher notch and really whips it! Miles Davis's SOLAR, also taken up but not as fast as SCRAPPLE, has an excellent Broadbent solo. GREEN DOLPHIN STREET, a tune with a strong bass line, has Broadbent playing the electric piano like an upright bass behind Bud's blazing solo, and then during Alan's solo Mays accompanies him with a powerful left hand on his piano: it works perfectly and is delightful to hear. The other three tracks are slower ballads, the best being HOW ARE THINGS IN GLOCCA MORRA, with Bud taking a very long-lined, melodic solo. Looking at the album one might conclude, as Bud notes in the liner, "These guys are nuts"; but give it a listen and you'll see how sane (and pleasurable) it all is."