Search - Stefon Harris :: African Tarantella

A View Into The Creative World of Duke Ellington Through The

J. Rich | 03/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I urge each of you to pick a copy of the new Stefon Harris album "African Tarantella: Dances with Duke" on Blue Note Records.



This album is amazing and it has very nice reworking of some of Duke Ellington's compositions on it. I think, especially after hearing this outstanding album, that jazz has a bright future ahead of it thanks to Stefon Harris.



The lineup for this album are the following musicians:



Stefon Harris - vibraphone, marimba

Xavier Davis - piano

Derrick Hodge - bass

Terreon Gully - drums

Steve Turre - trombone

Anne Drummond - flute

Greg Tady - clarinet

Junah Chung - viola

Louise Dubin - cello



Track listing:



From The New Orleans Suite by Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn

1. Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta

2. Portrait of Wellman Braud

3. Bourbon Street Jingling Jollies



From The Queen's Suite by Duke Ellington

4. Sunset and the Mocking Bird

5. Single Pedal of a Rose



From The Gardner Meditations by Stefon Harris

6. Memoirs of a Frozen Summer

7. African Tarantella

8. Dancing Enigma



The recording of this album is also something to talk about. The production is very well done. The engineering is fantastic, but all of these things are expected on a prestigous jazz label like Blue Note.



Stefon Harris has really crafted a beautiful album full of fascinating rhythms, textures, and most of all compositions. All of the musicians have done a remarkable job with this album. Some highlights for me are "Portrait of Wellman Braud," "Single Pedal Of A Rose," and the title track, but in all honesty all of the tunes are inspiring and interesting.



Don't hesitate for a second and pick this album up. I also recommend Stefon's other albums, most notably "The Grand Unification Theory" and "Evolution." All of which are great.



To the reviewer who don't like the name "African Tarantella." What's in a name? Look at the names of Rashaan Roland Kirk's, Charles Mingus' or Thelonius Monk's compositions. Give me a break! If you think the name "Trinkle, Tinkle" is a clever name you're greatly mistaken. You don't have an argument anyway. It's the MUSIC that is being reviewed not the title of the album. To the other reviewer who would have liked to hear the full versions of these Duke Ellington suites instead of selections, get a grip. I would've liked to hear him do a whole album of nothing but Duke Ellington's music, but what he should've or could've done doesn't hold any validation in the writing of a review. If you have a problem with the music itself or the production of the album, then you have a reason to write a review, but if the only arguments you guys can come up with are what he could've or shouldn't have done, then you're fighting a loosing battle.



"African Tarantella" is easily the best jazz album to come out of 2006.



BUY THIS ALBUM! YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY!"

Young star continues to rise

James Lamperetta | Upstate, NY | 01/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even though the vibraphone and marimba are established "jazz" instruments there have been relatively few high profile players associated with them. The short list would include Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Gary Burton, Roy Ayers, Steve Nelson, and Bobby Hutcherson.

With six Blue Note albums as a leader to his credit, Albany native Stefon Harris is one of a handful of young vibe players exploring the potential of the instrument while building upon its often underappreciated legacy.

With his most recent release, "African Tarantella....Dances with Duke" Harris re-envisions movements from two suites composed by Duke Ellington. Also included is a disc-closing trio of original compositions from his recently commissioned work entitled "The Gardner Meditations."

With his own compositions in place first, Harris embarked upon selecting the material that would round out the disc. "I picked the Ellington compositions I thought would best align with my overall concept," he notes. "In arranging the Ellington pieces I tried not to stray to far from his intentions; I wanted to make sure that I was juxtaposing my compositional sound with that of Duke's."

Opting for a chamber jazz ensemble, the group is rounded out with piano, bass, drums, clarinet, trombone, flute, viola, and cello, instead of a more traditional big band in an Ellington mold. Thus, much of the stamp that Harris places on selections from Duke's "The New Orleans Suite" and "The Queen's Suite" is to be heard through his use of the group's instrumentation.

Ellington's music is a seemingly effortless amalgam of styles which range from jazz to classical into which he also frequently incorporated touches of blues, gospel, and world music. Tempered with a singularity of vision and style, his canon of more than 3000 compositions staked a claim all its own, no small feat during a time which the great American songbook was being crafted.

"The New Orleans Suite" was recorded by Duke in 1970 and is considered to be one of his late-period masterpieces. Taken as a whole, "Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta," "Portrait of Wellman Braud" and "Bourbon Street Jingling Jollies" could be seen as a microcosm of the Ellington oeuvre. Providing ample inspiration, "Portrait" is emboldened by trombonist Steve Turre's bluesy smears, while "Bourbon Street" features a plaintive theme whose airy gait elegantly glides over a backdrop of flute and strings.

More impressive still is the way that Harris' original tunes, which are broad in scope yet succinctly sculpted, hold their own as they follow the works of a true master. The gentle "Memoirs of a Frozen Summer" is cloaked in a film-noir mystique. "African Tarantella" lopes along on a wave of mellifluous swing while "Dancing Enigma" traverses a variety of colors and moods.

A short un-credited bonus ninth track lurks ninety-seconds after the disc "ends.""

Another solid release

Darryl Dickson-Carr | Dallas, TX USA | 01/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Stefon Harris's _African Tarantella_ is a good, solid release by the vibist. It's not as accessible as _Evolution_ or as virtuosic as Grand Unification Theory, but it is one of the best interpretations of Duke Ellington's work in recent years. A must-buy for his fans, and a safe buy for all others."