Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Pete Zimmer Quintet: Judgment

Pete Zimmer Quintet: Judgment

By Terrell Kent Holmes
November 21, 2006
Sign in to view read count

Pete Zimmer pays homage to the music and innovators of the hard bop era on Judgment, an inspired and sometimes exceptional collection of mostly original tunes played by a wonderful group of musicians who clearly share the drummer's admiration of the standards.

"The Mingus That I Knew, written by guest George Garzone, captures the bassist's essence in the arrangement, complete with accelerating tempos and robust colors. The front line of tenorists Garzone and Joel Frahm and trumpeter Michael Rodriguez flawlessly summons the energy and timbre of a big band. Zimmer's "Down or Up is an up-tempo, stylish gem with a smooth arrangement and rock-solid playing by Frahm, Rodriguez and pianist Toru Dodo.

Perhaps "8 A.M. Wednesday Spirit suggests Mingus' "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, but this sax/drums duet between Garzone and Zimmer tears a page from the Interstellar Space playbook as well. The title cut gives Dodo and the two sax players a chance to display fire and lyricism during their solos and quick-witted dialogue.

Rodriguez's solo on the bop strut "Dot Dot pushes the envelope toward bassist David Wong, who contributes a crisp plucked solo. The full-bodied bossa nova of "Tutti Italiani is good, but of all the songs on Judgment, the Zimmer/Dodo collaboration "Cut Off might be the definitive one—because it both looks ahead to the future and to back the past by applying a challenging chord structure to a classic hard bop context.

Track Listing

The Mingus That I Knew; Down or Up; To My Papa; 8 A.M. Wednesday Spirit; Judgment; Dot Dot; Bye Bye Blackbird; Tutti Italiani; Cut Off.

Personnel

Pete Zimmer

drums

George Garzone: tenor saxophone; Michael Rodriguez: trumpet; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone; Toru Dodo: piano; John Sullivan: bass; David Wong: bass; Pete Zimmer: drums.

Album information

Title: Judgment | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Tippin' Records

< Previous
The Spirit of Giving

Next >
Blood Pressure

Comments

About Pete Zimmer

Instrument: Drums

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.