Search - Richard Davis :: Now's the Time

An incredibly (underknown) strong band at a bargain price.

greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 12/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Part of the problem is that there is simply too much great music. I am not even going to start on the inordinate amount of filler that makes it to CD every year. The real problem is that there are literally tens of thousands of CDs that contain outstanding music.

I never cease to be amazed when I come across a listing like this one. There are no reviews and copies of the CD are being discounted probably just to clear stock.

The facts- This live recording was made at Jazz City in NYC back in Sept. of 1972. The front line was Clifford Jordan on the tenor sax, Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson on trumpet. The rythym section was Joe Bonner on piano, Richard Davis on the bass and Freddie Waits on drums. The original LP contained only two tracks: Monk's Epistrophy and Parker's Now's The Time. The CD added Jordan's Highest Mountain. Each track is an

extended outing averaging over twenty minutes.

A few opinions- In spite of the material, this is not bebop. As a whole, the performance is on the freer side of what I would call free bop. For one thing, many of the soli are more like duets or trios with featured players. Much weirdness abounds. In the middle of what I suppose would be Peterson's solo on Epistrophy, someone (Waits, Jordan?) breaks out some sort of flute. Jordan's solo on Epistrophy is impassioned in a way I have never heard him anywhere else. He is really being pushed by Peterson and Bonner. And Davis and Waits are just monsters on their respective instruments playing with great variety and power. Listen to the way Davis starts off Epistrophy or how Waits starts off Now's The Time.

The overall impression is of musicians who were very alive to some of the other great groups of the period (the Art Ensemble, some of Tyner's groups). On this night, Davis' group was as good as any of those.

My only complaint is that the sound suffers from the live recording technology of the time. It sounds as if the mix could only really feature one or two of the instruments at a time. Everything else seems to fade. At least, to me.

But don't let that stop you from purchasing this CD especially at these prices. And then return the favor- find an underappreciated CD performed by musicians who spent a lifetime honing their art and then write it up.

"