Back in the late 1960s and early 70s, jazz was mixing with rock to plug in and create the new tidal wave called “Fusion”. Bands like Weather Report, Return to Forever and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters filled theaters, with people asking “will anyone ever play acoustic jazz again?”
Up came two labels dedicated to keeping acoustic jazz alive, Concord Records and Chiaroscuro. The latter was yeoman-like in keeping alive the sounds of “mainstream” artists from the swing and early bebop era, while slowly modernizing up during its later days. These two recent reissues show how well this music has held up through the various trends.
Swing era tenor saxist Flip Phillips teams up with neo-trad soprano saxist/clarinetist KennY Davern in two different settings and decades. The first is form a 1977 album with the two supported by Dave McKenna/p, George Duvivier/b and Bobby Rosengarden/dr returning to familiar Big Band territory. Davern is a gas on the C Melody sax on a lively “Sweet Lorraine” while his soprano locks well with Phillips breathy tenor on the torrid “Elsa’s Dream”. Flip hits the soprano on a gliding “Just Squeeze Me” and oozes thick tones on bass clarinet for a velvety teaming with Davern’s licorice stick on “Mood Indigo”. A journey through happy music.
There’s also a 1995 recording of the two on a Sea Cruize with Derek Smith/p, Howard Alden/g, Milt Hinton/b and Joe Ascione/dr, with Phil Woods guesting on alto sax for a hard swinging jam of “Lover Come Back To Me”. Phillips gives a rich aria on “Flip’s Dido” , with Davern loyal to the clarinet the entire set. He’s clear and clever on “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” and sublime with Phillips on “Miki’s Dream”, with Alden getting some time in the sun. A cruise worth remembering-just back away, keep reissuing albums like this, and no one gets hurt.
Pianist Gil Goldstein has had a wide ranging career including stints with guitarists Pat Metheny, Pat Martino and Jim Hall. This 1977 session has him in a variety of mellow settings, mixing and matching with Jeff Berlin/b, Bob Moses-Steve Smith/dr, Toots Theilmans/hm, Ray Barretto/perc, Fred Miller/horn and Mary Eiland/voc. There are some reflective duets, one with Berlin on “Alas” and the other with Miller’s English horn on the gentle “Downhill Racer”. Gentle soft moods akin to Bill Evans are heard on trio tunes “Pure As Rain” and “November’s Child” with Thielmans sitting in on “Without AN Anchor’ and Barretto contributing to the Jobim-esque “Carin’”. Pre-smooth smooth jazz.