Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Roberto Magris: Ready for Reed

3

Roberto Magris: Ready for Reed

By

Sign in to view read count
Roberto Magris: Ready for Reed
Italian-born Pianist Roberto Magris, never one to let labels stand in the way of tasteful and invigorating music, skates from funk to fusion, blues to bop and even ballads on this prismatic album with guest alto Sam Reed, a longtime trouper on the Philadelphia scene who cut his musical teeth with the likes of trumpeter Ted Curson, pianist Bobby Timmons and the redoubtable Heath brothers (Albert, Percy and especially saxophonist Jimmy). Reed, now well into his seventies, holds his own with a group of relative youngsters that includes Magris, trombonist Kendall Moore, bassist Dominique Sanders, drummer Brian Steever, tenor saxophonist Steve Lambert (two tracks) and conguero Pablo Sanhueza (four).

In fact, some of the more rewarding numbers are those on which Reed is given suitable space in which to display his still limber chops (Bird's "Quasimodo," Lee Morgan's "Stopstart," Magris' funky "Ready for Reed"). Magris moves from piano to Hammond B3 organ on "Ready" and the hard-driving opener, Gene Ammons' "Jungle Strut." Moore proves to be an able soloist as well, shining on several tunes, while Sanders and Steever (with occasional help from Sanhueza) keep the rhythmic pulse strong. For his part, Magris shows time and again that he is a perceptive soloist on piano and organ. Besides "Ready for Reed," Magris also wrote "The Swagger," which definitely lives up to its name.

Ellington's "Love You Madly," taken at an uncharacteristically brisk tempo, precedes Billy Strayhorn's "Paris Blues Revisited." Also on the menu are Rodgers and Hart's "I Married an Angel," the standard "Be My Love" and the charming "Sweet Jenny Lou." As is often the case on Magris' CDs, the music is followed by an "Audio Notebook" moderated by JMood Records' Paul Collins, and this one is a delight, as Reed shows a razor-sharp memory in recalling his early days as a sideman and leader in Philly. Reed's playing (would that there were even more of it) is another treat, one that should be savored while this canny veteran is still around and able to share his sizable talents.

Track Listing

Jungle Strut; The Swagger; Love You Madly; Paris Blues Revisited; Quasimodo; I Married An Angel; Ready For Reed; Sweet Jenny Lou; Be My Love; Stopstart.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Sam Reed Meets Roberto Magris: Ready for Reed | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: J-Mood 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.