Search - George Adams :: Life Line

Inspirational

Tyler Smith | Denver, CO United States | 03/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the greatest pleasures for the jazz listener is to hear the work of musicians who have found common ground in their playing and have begun forging new vocabularies in their music, creating unique universes of sound. John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Charles Mingus each were able to create such bands. With "Lifeline" we hear the work of another, the quartet formed by Mingus alumni Don Pullen and George Adams. The band is rounded out by Mingus mainstay Dannie Richmond on drums and Cameron Brown on bass."Lifeline"(1981), along with the equally fine "Earth Beams," was recorded in Holland. The recording is top-notch, and the music is a treat for ears battered by musical pap. This band was composed of modern generalists, meaning they were unafraid to take on any and all musical styles. In this, the influence of Mingus is clear -- not in the sound they produced but in the stubborn resistance to be classified by what they play.The musical feast that is "Lifeline" includes a hard-core blues that transforms itself into a saxophone foray with rock overtones ("Seriously Speaking"), a calypso-flavored romp powered by Richmond's incomparable drumming {"Soft Seas"), a lyrical ballad that erupts into an impassioned blowing session and back into lyricism ("Nature's Children"), stomping blues "Protection" and free-floating atmospherics ("Newcomers"). You'll probably hear all kinds of other things along the way if you give the release the listening it deserves.I emphasize the word "listen," because the record demands it and deserves it. These were musicians who listened to each other and were concerned with creating fully-formed performances in each tune they recorded.Those familiar with Pullen's piano playing will find the usual blend of blues, tonal clusters, and his distinctive far-out assaults on the piano keys. His range over the instrument is matched by Adams' over the saxophone and flute. His saxophone solos are flat-out excitement, moving inside-out at the drop of a hat. One minute he's playing a dirty blues and the next his sound is reaching for the stratosphere before plunging down to the bottom of your gut. Richmond was simply one of the best drummers ever. He never seems lost, never endures a missed beat, never seems to simply be keeping time. And Brown is for my money one of the most underrated bassists around. For more of him, check out his work with Beaver Harris.Richmond, Adams and Pullen are all gone now, and the loss of each diminishes jazz. Still, they continue to lend their rich voices to the culture with albums such as this one, neglected though it may be."