Scott Robinson

Multiple reed and brass player Scott Robinson journeyed to Prague in 2003 to reunite with his old Berklee classmate, Czech pianist Emil Viklicky, for this extraordinary record date. Though Robinson is well known for his work on baritone sax on dates by others, tenor sax is his favorite instrument and it is heard extensively on this date. With Viklicky's regular bassist (Frantisek Uhlir) and drummer Laco Tropp, they kick off with a striking rendition of "Summertime" that finds Robinson alternating between tenor sax and muted trumpet, with Viklicky darkening the mood by his compelling choice of chords…

Tenormore, the album title that is also the name of the final tune, has a couple of meanings, according to Scott: It continues the idea of ''Tenor Eleven'' and ''Tenor Twelve,'' but in a more complex way. The piece is structured in ten-bar sections, each followed by an indeterminate number of additional bars, (i.e., ten or more). The drums provide the extra, open, bars during the composed parts.

This meeting took place at ScienSonic Laboratories in Teaneck, NJ on April 21, 2015 (the day after the Heliosonic Toneways session). This recording is significant in that it presents the first music Roscoe Mitchell ever played with either Marshall Allen or Milford Graves. It also represents a bit of a departure for me personally, as Milford Graves is so far the only artist to appear on ScienSonic with whom I have not previously performed as a sideman. It has long been a dream to play music with Professor Graves, so I took the plunge or perhaps "lift-off" would be a better term. As the professor said to me after the date, "Man, at one point you went so far out there, we weren't sure if you were coming back!" Well, it took 4 ½ years, but at least I made it back in time to finally mix and present this music. Everything was recorded in one open room with no separation or barriers of any kind, as suggested by Mr. Graves, and is presented here in the order it was played.

Eddie Higgins started his professional career in Chicago, Illinois, while studying at the Northwestern University School of Music. An elegant and sophisticated pianist, his encyclopedic harmonic approach and wide range of his repertory made him one of the most distinctive jazz pianists to come out of Chicago, gaining the respect of local and visiting musicians for his notable mastery of the instrument. Higgins also had the unusual ability to sound equally persuasive in a broad span of music, whether he was playing traditional swing, exciting bebop or reflexive ballads, providing the tone and stylistic flavor of each styles, as both a soloist and as accompanist…

Frank Kimbrough - Monk's Dreams: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Sphere Monk (2018) {6CD Set Sunnyside SSC4032}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44.1kHz - Official Digital Download (bandcamp.com) -> 1.86 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 802 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2018 Sunnyside Records | SSC4032
Jazz / Modal Music / Post Bop / Piano / Jazz Quartet

The genius of pianist and composer Thelonious Monk is unassailable. Since his death in 1982, he has become recognized as one of the greatest composers of jazz – and of the wider world of music. The year 2017 was the centennial of Monk’s birth, and brought scores of tributes, including a well-received stay of pianist Frank Kimbrough’s quartet at the Jazz Standard club in New York City.