Search - Grady Tate :: From the Heart: Songs Sung Live at the Blue Note

A Joyous, Straight Ahead Blowin' Set

Rick Cornell | Reno, Nv USA | 05/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this c.d. before taking a road trip to Elko, Nv. and Salt Lake City, Ut on I-80 east. It is the perfect c.d. to drive 90 m.p.h. with.



Recorded live in 2001 at the Blue Note in NYC but not released until more than 5 years later, this is a wonderful blowing session (coincidentally, like many old albums on the "Blue Note" label). Grady Tate sounds great, especially for a septuagenarian. His voice quality reminds me a lot of Lou Rawls', and he can still get to the notes he needs to get to with solidity.



This is a set of uptunes, essentially. There is an infectiousness in the air that got to all the musicians involved. The solos sound great (especially pinaist Charlap's on "Little Black Samba", and trumpeter Drews' on "Everybody Loves My Baby"), and Mr. Tate sounds in great humor.



My favorite on this set is "All Blues." After a chorus (I believe of Jon Hendricks' lyrics), the song morphs into Basie's "Every Day I Have the Blues" (also Hendricks' lyrics); then a 12-bar improv. that sounds like something Buddy Guy or Brownie McGhee might sing, over Miles' modal chords; then "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay"; then Grady's lament that he's lost everything (even his drugs!!), and not even Jay (Leonhardt, his bassist on this date) will be his friend; then a cool Leonhardt solo; and then a scat obligato that sounds like a helium balloon with the air let out. Cool, cool, cool.



And the set ends with the hippest sounding "I Got the World On a String" I've ever heard.



Grady Tate is a well-known jazz session drummer who became a vocalist relatively late in life, and is not particularly well known as such. He deserves more recognition. C.d.'s like this are a joy to the ears. RC"