Search - Tom Harrell :: Paradise

Record of the new century?

George Grella | Brooklyn | 01/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not much of one for lists, but if someone puts out a call for jazz records of the decade, this one is on mine. It's difficult to overstate how brilliant and beautiful this record is, but I'll do my best!If, like me, you find those CTI records from the 70's that Amazon refers to plain awful, don't fear, 'Paradise' is absolutely nothing like them. While Harrell makes use of strings, this CD cannot be compared to any other horn-'n'-strings jazz record, because the basic conception is entirely different. The key is that this music is original and through-composed by Harrell for the recording, so the goal was not to restate standards with a pop lushness, but to continue one superb musicians journey into all aspects of his musical voice.It goes without saying to those familiar with Harrell's work that he is a superb musician, with a wonderful sound, a distinct style of playing that is harmonically rich and rhythmically sharp, a personal voice. This record expresses all that to the nth degree, all these tools pointed towards the goal of producing beautiful sounds. Again, though, the beauty on the record is very different than the pigeon-holing implies.Harrell uses the strings mainly for their timbre, and he emphasizes the darker colors in their sound. He does not produce over-ripe harmonies and textures, the record still has the clean sound one hears with most small jazz groups. Nor does he abandon the essence of jazz, rhythm. This music swings, it's propulsive and driving. And the beauty is not a simple overlay of major chords - most of this CD features minor tonalities, but the playing is beautiful, the expression of the soloists in the context of the tunes is beautiful, and the arrangements of the music, more sophisticated than small group 'head' arrangements, adds a romantic sense of drama which is itself beautiful. And to emphasize once more, the core is Harrell himself, and the conception is completely his. An inimitable record, strong, beautiful and literally enthralling. An essential item in any contemporary jazz collection, easily the jazz CD of 2001, the decade, the century . . ."

Paradise Found. . . ?

ROGER L. FOREMAN | Bath, Maine | 10/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ooohhhh. . . . Just gorgeous. . . . Harrell has composed, arranged, and performed a beautiful CD with PARADISE. I am fairly new to his work, having recently purchased TIME"S MIRROR and ART OF RHYTHM. I am not a horn, player, either, so I can't speak to his "talent" as a player. I just know what I like. Harrell's PARADISE falls somewhere between Mark Isham's lush, laid-back BLUE SUN (another great CD) and Dave Douglas' never-quite-know-what-to-expect, rough-and-tumble approach. He doesn't try to steal the show on any of the tracks but lets his arranging do the talking, whether it be the strings, reeds, keyboards, brass, or the impressive blend of them all.What stands out on this CD is Harrell's production of an album, not just a string of fancy solos all stuck together on the same CD (as another reviewer mentioned). This disc has a sense of purpose and progression, with the bookending tracks 1 & 9, "Daybreak" and "Sunrise." The high point between Daybreak and Sunrise is "Morning Prayer," tracks 6 & 7. Those tracks capture a variety of sometimes contradictory moods: solemn, mournful, hopeful, joyful, introspective . . . (dare I say worshipful?). Those are the tracks that, at the end of the CD, will get listened to again.Harrell deserves some major recognition as an arranger and composer. If this album doesn't bring that to him, then the jazz community and the music industry, in general, will both need to hang their heads in shame.Milton would be very proud."

Latest leg of a musician's journey

joel fass | bronx,, n.y. United States | 07/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm listening as I write this. Tom Harrell has, through hard work, dedication, great talent, and years of invaluable experience/apprenticeship, developed a personal voice as writer and player. Fortunately, he also has the financial backing of a major label to make his music room dreams and sketches realities, whose beauty will captivate and uplift his listeners.
On this CD one can hear those years of experience, the imagination and passion balanced with thought and purpose. Specifically, Harrell uses his resources: his own and the other solo voices, the string players, and his original developed themes in the unified statement (on each track and as a whole)only this type of mature, thinking musician could make. Everything matters and is part of the sound design. It's not a procession of solos after a head with some string parts tacked on. There are straight-ahead, Latin, rock grooves, lush or dark moods with the strings, and rubato feels. The string writing itself is both real string quartet (and quintet) writing and appropriate to the material even as it adds dimension. There's an interaction, not easy to bring off pairing strings and straight-ahead jazz players, who normally have different feels, especially rhythmically. The harp as used here I could've lived without, but that's me. The use of a reduced drum set on some tracks is another device making this sound unlike an average jazz quintet with strings. This personal approach requires one simple demand of listener: to forget expectations based on other recordings (including Harrell's) and enter the gates with open ears.Music has to be experienced by each listener emotionally and personally. I'm not saying I love every solo, (except for Tom's)tune, or bar of writing on the CD either---but so what, it wouldn't be human for any of us, even the best among us, not to occasionally miss a mark. The main things to me are honesty and skill. Suffice it to say that since I got a CD burner I make a lot more trips to the library than the record store. Most CDs are overpriced and not worth it. Except when Tom Harrell has something new out. He always manages to make me give it up."