Search - Tommy Flanagan :: Trio

In a laid back piano bar

Bob Carpenter | New York, NY | 02/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tommy Flanagan must have been an obvious choice for the Prestige Moodsville series, which the liner notes explain were intended to provide a a compilation of performances where "imporant names in jazz can just relax and play the tunes they like" and where the "emphasis will be on relaxed, thoughtful and expressive jazz, after hours music if you will". In this set, Flanagan and his trio play a selection of little known 1930s ballads. In addition to Flanagan on the ivories, his trio features Tommy Potter on bass, who adds just a touch of depth and movement, and Roy Haynes on drums, who treats the skins to a light touch with the brushes. The fourth track, Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday" is a beautiful solo piano number. The penultimate song, "Jes' Fine", is the only song written by Flanagan. It picks things up just a touch and adds some counterpoint and a more insistent bass line. But then Tommy brings us back to the mellow mood in which we started with the final song, another Duke Ellington number, "In a Sentimental Mood". Rudy van Gelder captured the exquisite sound in his usual manner by setting up a couple of high-fidelity microphones and letting the players and room speak for themselves. If I close my eyes, I'm in the Village Vanguard listening to him live.My only complaint is that the album is only 34 minutes long. When I'm in the mood for Tommy Flanagan, I could listen to him and his trio all night. I'd suggest another Tommy Flanagan Trio album, "Overseas", as an excellent complement to this one. Or catch Flanagan in different surroundings on any number of early Dexter Gordon recordings or on Sonny Rollins' "Saxophone Colossus", which is perhaps my all time favorite be-bop album."

Outstanding ballad album by a jazz piano master

Bob Carpenter | 07/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Flanagan is one of the great living exponents of the Bud Powell lineage. Throughout his career, Flanagan has taken these roots and developed his own distinctive sound. This 1960s performance has it all. Except for one fat, wonderful and hard driving blues, it is all ballads. Arguably, this is one of the most beautiful piano ballad albums ever recorded and, in my opinion, the Flanagan album to own. The warmth, emotional depth, and unique subtlety of Flanagan's interpretations cannot be described with words. Highest recommendation."