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Liner Notes
One of the most popular tales in jazz lore is that of the great artist who, after a prolonged absence from the scene, makes a triumphant comeback. In 1968, Bob Brookmeyer, one of the busiest and brightest stars on the New York scene, moved to California. He spent the next ten years there, some of it in studio work, but much of it away from the music scene entirely. As he describes this hiatus, “I stopped drinking and got my life together, actually got my life restarted.” The trombonist returned to New York and to the jazz life in 1978. Since then, he has been devoting himself largely to writing, and much of his playing has been to European audiences. In October of 1986, he became the first composer to have a work premiered by the prestigious American Jazz Orchestra. Unfortunately, the demand for his services as arranger and composer has deprived fans of the pleasure of hearing him play. This quartet album, his first for Concord, returns the spotlight to Brookmeyer, the soloist.
Although he cites trombonists Bill Harris, Earl Swope, Dicky Wells and Vic Dickenson as influences, Brookmeyer’s Style is the product of a thorough grounding in all aspects of jazz’s past. Born in Kansas City, he names Count Basie as his inspiration for becoming a musician. In the 1960s, when such retrospection was not always fashionable, Brookmeyer exhorted his fellow “modernists” not to ignore past masters like Armstrong, Oliver and Bechet.
Brookmeyer’s style has undergone some subtle changes since his return. “My life has changed so much that it’s bound to be reflected in my playing. It could often become tedious. Now I feel a sense of joy that allows me to be both saner and screwier all at once.” Joyful is a good way to describe his work here. He had played a week’s engagement before the session and is in excellent form. The rhythm section is sensitive and responsive. Brookmeyer enjoys a special rapport with drummer Michael Stephans, who – while still in high school – introduced himself to the trombonist whom he had long admired. The young drummer was a positive force in Brookmeyer’s renaissance.
As is the case with many arrangers who are also players, Brookmeyer brings a special sense of logic and continuity to his solos. Each note has meaning, each phrase fits into the overall scheme. This is not to imply predictability. “My arranging makes me more aware of construction,” he notes. “In a way it allows me to take more chances, to break rules, and to be a lot freer.”
This set of standards and originals displays the many moods and tonal colors that Brookmeyer can evoke – from dark and brooding to robust and jubilant. Broadbent’s piano work has a crystalline beauty, and von Essen and Stephans have taste to match their abundant technique.
With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair moves effortlessly into a swinging groove, with solid solo work all around. Brookmeyer’s dreamy piece Oslo was written in that city and offers a wide range of sonic combinations. Later Blues is a playful line by Brookmeyer, which demonstrates the cohesiveness of the rhythm section. The performance grows in intensity, with the trombonist showing his Kansas City roots. Detour Ahead is given a moving and reflective reading. In the second chorus, which begins with a starkly effective trombone/bass duet, Brookmeyer reduces the melody to its essential parts. After Broadbent’s imaginative chorded work, the trombone makes a powerful entrance on the bridge of the third chorus and ends with a dramatic coda. Stephans brush work is exemplary. As with many of Brookmeyer’s pieces, the infectious Tootsie Samba has an unusual structure, which imparts a seamless quality. “I decided to let it go where it had to and not force it into a conventional length,” the composer recalls. “It makes it more challenging to play.” Alone Together, although a standard, also departs from a conventional bar length in the “A” section. Brookmeyer again is accompanied only by von Essen’s solid bass. “I love duets like this,” he states enthusiastically. “With the bass as the root, I can be free to float and follow my fancy.” Who Could Care is a reprise of a Brookmeyer ballad, which the trombonist recorded in 1961 with Stan Getz. It is another ingeniously structured melody, which the trombone states with great delicacy. Broadbent is in a romantic mood as he ends the piece with a lovely rubato solo. The exciting Caravan is am appropriate closer, since it was composed by another valve trombonist – Juan Tizol.
Any quartet led by Bob Brookmeyer is always more than the sum of its parts. And here, the “parts” are considerable.
Ed Berger
Curator, Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies. |
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| | With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair | | | Oslo |  | | Later Blues | | | Detour Ahead | | | Tootsie Samba | | | Alone Together | | | Who Could Care | | | Caravan | |
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Personnel:
Bob Brookmeyer, valve trombone
Alan Broadbent, piano and synthesizer
Eric von Essen, bass
Michael Stephans, drums |
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