Saxophonist
Gary Thomas
' records have been nothing if not provocative. This set, a collection of
jazz
and
pop
standards
radically reharmonized and annotated rhythmically, is no exception.
Thomas
assembles a stellar cast on this outing, including guitarist
Pat Metheny
, pianist
Tim Murphy
, alternating bassists
Anthony Cox
Ed Howard
, drummer
Terri Lyne Carrington
, and percussionist
Steve Moss
.
' methodology is one of tearing everything out but the tune's original melody and restructuring it from inside. As such, his own reed and woodwind playing and
Metheny
's guitar in the front line are perfect foils for one another.
leaves his euphoria-driven approach in the wings this time and becomes an
impressionist
, offering knotty counterpoint on
"The Best Thing for You"
as
Carrington
double- and triple-times the band, all the while pushing the syncopation into ever more angular directions. The ripping intro to
"Angel Eyes"
sounds like an outtake from
Interstellar Space
. When the band kicks it all the way in, it's a
hard bop
sprint with a killer bass solo by
Cox
. The beautiful acoustic guitar intro to
"Lush Life"
whispers with
' tenor, as the saxophonist offers up one of his most breathtaking and profoundly lyrical performances ever put on tape. His flute playing on
Horace Silver
's
"Peace,"
along with the rhythmic invention put forth by
Moss
in the intro, throws the listener when the beat comes kicking back
Latin
moves into high gear.
's comping on this cut, with its distortion, adds depth and edginess to the rhythm section. The set ends with a radically reworked
"You Don't Know What Love Is,"
where the harmonics of the tune get turned inside out and the rhythmic accents shift away form the backbeat time and time again.
Murphy
's piano is all that holds the tune in place as
mutate and re-form it in their own image. This is
' best moment on record thus far, and a casebook example of reinterpreting the
genre. ~ Thom Jurek