Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Avery Sharpe Trio: Live

208

Avery Sharpe Trio: Live

By

Sign in to view read count
Avery Sharpe Trio: Live
Creating an intriguing program and a well-balanced live set is an art form in and of itself. This becomes all the more challenging when dealing with small group formats, such as duo or trio settings. Bassist Avery Sharpe—best known for his work with McCoy Tyner in the '80s and '90s—proves to have exceptional skills in this department, in addition to his more obvious abilities as a supremely talented bassist and composer. This seven song program—recorded live at the Fraser Performance Studio at WGBH Radio in 2008—contains a little bit of everything. Nods to former employers, like Tyner and Yusef Lateef, are mixed in with sharp Sharpe originals, a solo bass performance, a mellow tune written by pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs and a metric-reinvention of "My Favorite Things."

The set begins with Tyner's "Blues On The Corner." Drummer Winard Harper stirs things up behind Gumbs and Sharpe and then moves to a solid swing feel when the soloing starts. Gumbs has a tasteful, measured touch that shines throughout the album and is on full display here. Harper gets a little room to cut loose, as he trades fours in the latter half of the song. Gumbs' "Morning Glow" is built on inviting harmonies and features an easygoing melody. Gumbs and Sharpe blend beautifully here and Harper is appropriately unobtrusive and extremely supportive. Sharpe's "OH NO!" features a hip head delivered by piano and bass. Gumbs solos without drums and bass behind him and Sharpe's solo segues from an impressive burning display of chops right into the pocket. Harper's soloing comes last and he starts out with a very musical, melodically-based solo, builds into a fiery display of technique and ends with a tension building press roll.

Lateef's "Morning" begins with a one note piano vamp, tapping out a Morse code-like rhythm that is trance-inducing. Things build around this and Sharpe's sound seems fatter here as he delivers a deeply spiritual melody. His soloing here, demonstrating his outstanding arco work, is the highlight of the song. "I Understand" is a rhythmically engaging solo bass performance and the melodic/rhythmic hook that comes in throughout the song is exciting and memorable.

"Dragon Fly," the penultimate performance here, features some darting lines—perhaps meant to represent the insect at hand—and ends in a stormy display of sound. A funky riff in seven sets off the journey through "My Favorite Things," which closes out the set. An off-kilter delivery of the melody leads to a hard swinging section of music, but the excitable feel at the outset returns and keeps things interesting. Sharpe's clever reworking of this song is the last of many great musical ideas on display throughout this live recording.

Track Listing

Blues On The Corner; Morning Glow; OH NO!; Morning; I Understand; Dragon Fly; My Favorite Things.

Personnel

Avery Sharpe: acoustic bass; Onaje Allan Gumbs: piano; Winard Harper: drums.

Album information

Title: Live | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: JKNM 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

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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