There was a time when jazz trumpet players had both testosterone and melody in their music, something sadly lacking today in most of the younger cats. Here are a couple albums by artists sadly departed too soon in life, but still inspiring to jazz ears. Both artists died within less than a decade of these recordings, which always makes you wonder what they could have done if fate hadn’t stepped in.
By 1979, Chet Baker had the reputation of being a “has been”, past his prime due to his famous addictions and decadencies. I had a number of chances to see him when he would return to Los Angeles, but never went figuring it would be embarrassing for the both of us. Judging by this two disc set of his autumn years, I really missed out.
He’s teamed up with Phil Markowitz/p, Jean Louis Rassinfosse/b and Charlie Rice for five tunes that range from 13 to almost 28 minutes. Obviously, everyone is getting a chance to stretch out, but you never lose your interest. Baker still sings and scats, and serves “There’ll Never Be Another You” well, while his born is classically fragile on “I Can’t Get Started”. Rassinfosse and Rice dig in well on “Love For Sale” and the rhythm section creates a hip samba feel for Baker’s muted horn on “Black Eyes” while the team skates like Dorothy Hamill on “Broken Wing”. Still West Coast Cool.
Woody Shaw was the torch carrier of post bop trumpet until Wynton Marsalis came along, releasing a handful of classic albums in the late 1970s. He just created a new band, leaving Columbia Records, but still playing material from those sessions with a hard hitting team that keeps trombonist Steve Turre, but now includes Mulgrew Miller/p, Stafford James/b and Tony Reedus/dr.
Shaw is fluffy and gorgeous on the waltzing “Katrina Ballerina” from a fairly recent album, while Miller and the rhythm section digs in deep for the darkly hued “Joshua C.” Turre is bold and beautiful on the impressive “Sun Bath” and the horns shoot out notes like an AK 47 on the rapidly fired “To Kill A Brick”. Musical muscles are flexed.
Meanwhile, the architect of bebop trumpet, Dizzy Gillespie, was searching for new lands to conquer and a way to keep up with the times. By the late 70s, Diz was going from summit meetings with old friends to putting out albums with youngsters. Here, he is with the latter trying to juxtapose bebop with funk and soul with a team of Rodney James/g, Benjamin Brown/b and Mickey Roker/dr. When alto saxist Leo Wright jumps on stage for a bit, Diz sounds and feels right at home, digging into the percussive “Night In Tunisia” and swirling around gloriously on “Blues” . Other times, he sounds like he’s working on the Superfly soundtrack over Jones’ funky riffs on “Diddy Wa Diddy” and the riffing bass of “Unicorn”, boogalooing to the beat of “ Sunshine”. Dizzy’s horn sounds fantastic both open on “Olinga” and muted on the deft “The Land Of Milk and Honey”. Bebop reacts to Sly and the Family Stone.