Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Goat Hill Junket: Anthony Wilson

121

Goat Hill Junket: Anthony Wilson

By

Sign in to view read count
Goat Hill Junket: Anthony Wilson
It's easy to grasp why Anthony Wilson's harmonically rich arrangements have so many hard-ass jazz critics heaping praise. This is an elegant and ambitious album that invites comparisons to Wynton Marsalis’s best work.

Anthony Wilson is the 30-year-old son of L.A. bandleader and composer Gerald Wilson. A guitarist who plays his Gibson with boppish proficiency, Wilson is also a talented composer-arranger whose music combines the swing-era elegance of Duke Ellington with the fluid complexity of Gil Evans. Goat Hill Junket is Wilson's second release as a leader, and like his critically acclaimed debut, it features a nine-piece ensemble with three reeds, two brass instruments, piano, bass, drums, and the leader's guitar.

The funky original "W-2 Blues" and the swinging Tadd Demeron composition "Flossie Lou" are the most infectious pieces here, and both feature Michael LeDonne's tasteful organ and Wilson's elaborate horn charts. "The Cherry Tree" is a pretty mid-tempo piece, while "Hell's Belles" is a cool jazzy tango. "It Has Happened to Me" is a hard-swinging number that showcases some ferocious bop blowing from the man who wrote it, tenor saxophonist Bennie Wallace. The remaining tracks include the melodic Wilson original "Georgia Waltz" and the standards "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Stairway to the Stars."

At times Wilson's complex arrangements are a bit too cerebral for my tastes, but his songs grow more interesting after repeated listens.This is a clever young cat who could become a jazz icon in the 21st Century.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Anthony Wilson | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: MAMA Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.