(I’m particularly fond of the ending jams on “What’s New?” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is”)
Originally conceived as a publicity stunt to get an audience into a venue I’d never played, this live recording was the only time this group performed together.
No rehearsal, just a sound check and two nights of shows.
Since it was made before the social web, and I only printed 200 physical copies, many of you may not have heard it. But there are great moments on this album. I’m most proud of the group interplay.
For those who’ve never heard of Kevin Bales, prepare to get a master class in energetic, interactive jazz piano. Kevin was an early mentor to me in Jacksonville, FL. Having him play in MY band was an honor and privilege.
I’ve received several messages lately from folks discovering it and enjoying it a lot (see the wonderful review below). And I realized I should highlight this record a bit for the newcomers. So here it is, streamable and shareable in a single YouTube clip:
Perhaps my favorite review ever:
Hi Bob,
Hey man, just had to drop everything a sec and write this email.
I’m doing some painting projects and spring cleaning around the house
so I loaded up my ipod with music to listen to while I plow through
the work.I have Coltrane, Josh Redman, Chris Potter, Dexter Gordon, Eric
Alexander, Stanley Turrentine…you name it…..and I also put your
“Live at the Jazz Corner” in there too. With all that great stuff I
STILL CANNOT STOP LISTENING TO YOUR CD EVERY NIGHT!No bullshit….I can’t think of enough great adjectives to describe
it. The soloing, your sound (on tenor AND soprano), the hip
re-workings of the standards, and the interplay of the band…ALL
AMAZING. It’s truly a riveting set from start to finish. There isn’t
one tune or even one moment where it’s boring and you want to speed
through to the next tune.You guys must have been playing together for a while because of how
locked you are with one another. So many straight ahead albums sound
like jam sessions or pick-up gigs. Not this set. You guys have an
amazing rapport. It makes the music so much more interesting when the
group is a tight unit and playing with this kind of togetherness.You share so much helpful information with us sax players, I though
I’d share my good vibes with you. I know you’re probably too modest to
recommend that your online students get this music and obsess on it
like I am….but they should. There’s a lot to learn, but besides all
the technical stuff there’s a lot to just experience and enjoy. This
is what great music is all about.Keep up the great work and thanks.
Russ
+Stream a full-screen version of the entire album
You can find the full album on iTunes, Bandcamp, and CDBaby. (Available as a digital download only; physical CDs are out of print.)
