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New Stories: Hope is in the Air
ByElmo Hope, back in bop's early days, hung with piano legends Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. According to Nellie Monk, he was Thelonious' favorite contemporary composer, though the sound presented here, especially on the up-tempo numbers, seems much closer to Powell's, with a real "Bud Bounce" on the bright "Dee-Dah."
New Storiespianist Marc Seales, bassist Doug Miller, and drummer John Bishopfreshen up this set of bop jewels while maintaining the musical spirit and sense of experimentation and wonder of the early days of bebop. They open the disc with "Sims A Plenty," with Bobby Porcelli sitting in on alto saxophone, blowing with a freewheeling finesse on this up-tempo romp. Seven of the fourteen tunes are trio workouts, ranging from the bright and upbeat "Dee-Dah" to the hauntingly, delicately gorgeous ballad "Stars Over Marrakech," which features some of drummer John Bishop's subtle yet complex colorings. Indeed, the New Stories Trio, on the two back-to-back ballads "Eyes So Beautiful As Yours" and "Stars...", serves up the disc's pensively engaging ten-minute highlight, sounding searchingly abstract and, remarkably, almost impossibly cohesive.
Altoist Porcelli sits in on three more numbers besides the opener, and producer Sickler duets with pianist Bertha HopeElmo's widowon the two closers, "Monique" and Three Silver Quarters." And slip in Roberta Gambarini's bittersweet vocals on "This Sweet Sorrow," known instrumentally as "Barfly," and you've got a good feeling for Elmo Hope's marvelous but almost forgotten music.
Track Listing
Sims a Plenty, Dee-Dah, Nieta, One Second Please, A Kiss for My Love, This Sweet Sorrow, Roll On, Hot Sauce, eyes So Beautiful As Yours, Stars Over Marrakech, Low Tide, Carving the Rock, Monique, Three Silver Quarters
Personnel
New Stories
band / ensemble / orchestraMarc Seales--piano; Doug Miller--bass; John Bishop--drums: Featuring--Bobby Porcelli--alto saxophone (1,4,7,12); Bertha Hope--piano (11,13,14); Don Sickler--trumpet (13,14), flugelhorn; Roberta Gambarini--vocals (6); Ronnie Mathews--piano (6); Peter Washington--bass (6); Kenny Washington--drums (6)
Album information
Title: Hope is in the Air | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Unknown label
Comments
About New Stories
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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