Greg Osby Minimalism Inner Circle

There are several problems with this lightweight release. Greg Osby chose to mostly feature his anonymous-sounding soprano instead of his much more distinctive alto. The rhythms on the funky grooves are so predictable and insipid that they could have been played by the sidemen in their sleep and none of the originals are the least bit memorable. Altoist Steve Coleman drops by on "Balaka" to heat things up a little, but, considering how mundane much of this dance music is, Osby sure seems to take it awful seriously.

Saxophonist Greg Osby attacks a varied mix of jazz standards on St. Louis Shoes with results that sound both well within the "tradition" and utterly modern. Reminiscent of midcareer Wynton Marsalis, Osby seems to want to mix the Cotton Club-style swing of Duke Ellington with the angular bebop and calculated arrhythmia of Thelonious Monk. Backed by a stellar ensemble including trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Robert Hurst, pianist Harold O'Neil, and drummer Rodney Green, Osby crafts interesting arrangements of songs including the barely recognizable Gershwin chestnut "Summertime" and the Dizzy Gillespie classic "Shaw 'Nuff" that are both harmonically challenging and rhythmically unique. Check out the quirky and angular Raymond Scott meets Monk written solo that Osby and Payton play in the middle of Ellington's "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"…

Greg Osby's outings for Blue Note are always challenging, always extending one boundary or another in his own idiosyncratic jazz iconography that uses elements of the historical tradition, the mainstream, and the avant-garde> in forging that signature. Public was recorded in January, 2004 at New York's Jazz Standard. Osby was playing in support of 2003's excellent St. Louis Shoes album. That band - trumpeter Osby on alto, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Rodney Green - all make this gig. The only change is the replacement of pianist Harold O'Neil with Japanese prodigy Megumi Yonezawa…

The combination of Greg Osby with Terri Lyne Carrington is quite logical. Altoist Osby, an original innovator with the M-Base movement (which explored free-form funk) has a very original improvising style. Since Carrington has always loved funk, as has electric bassist Jimmy Haslip (of the Yellowjackets), this match-up works quite well. Osby's interplay with guitarist Adam Rogers is also a major plus. Other than a Joni Mitchell piece ("Ethiopia") that the drummer sings, the repertoire is comprised of group originals. Whether it be overt funky pieces, brooding ballads or the well-titled "Fire," the music is explorative, unpredictable and usually grooving. Well worth exploring by fans of creative funk/jazz.

Charlie Hunter & Bobby Previte as Groundtruther + special guest Greg Osby - Latitude (2004) {Thirsty Ear THI 57150.2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 225 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 112 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2004 Thirsty Ear Recordings | THI 57150.2
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Modern Postbebop / Experimental / Modern Creative

Groundtruther is not a band, actually, but a project created by guitarist/composer Charlie Hunter and drummer, composer, and electronics maestro Bobby Previte. There will be three albums in the Groundtruther catalog when it's all done, of which Latitude is the first – Longitude and Altitude are the other titles in the series. In addition to the duo, each album will play host to a different guest instrumentalist, making each album a trio offering. On Latitude, it is saxophonist Greg Osby.

On her first jazz quartet "Visions", award-winning saxophonist Melissa Aldana connects her work to the legacy of Latina artists who have come before her, creating a pathway for her own expression. Inspired by the life and works of Frida Kahlo, Aldana creates a parallel between her experiences as a female saxophone player in a male-dominated community, and Kahlo’s experiences as a female visual artist working to assert herself in a landscape dominated by men. On her first jazz quartet recording, Aldana adds a new dimension to her sound, resulting in a transformative movement of expression and self-identity.

French bass virtuoso François Moutin and adventurous New York-born vocalist Kavita Shah present "Interplay," their first duo record of jazz standards and original music adapted to this unique instrumentation. The 11 tracks include legendary guests and octogenarians Martial Solal on piano and NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan on vocals, who join Moutin and Shah on an improvisational journey across lyric-driven and wordless pieces alike.

Inner Circle are a Jamaican reggae group. The group was originally called The Inner Circle Band and formed in 1968. The band achieved major success in the 1970s with Jacob Miller as their lead singer, but split up after his death in 1980…