Understanding

WALLACE RONEY: Understanding
HighNote, 2013

HARD BOP – Wallace Roney was a protégé of Miles Davis, and his similarity to Miles’ tone and approach has been both his claim to fame and an albatross over the years. But he sounds a bit less Miles-ish than usual in this solid all-acoustic set, moving the focus to Roney’s rolling solos, which unspool in long breathless lines, and his interesting band. All of the side players are young, developing guys (bassist Daryl Johns was only 16 at the time of recording!), so the tunes balance their 1970s classic feel with a raw freshness and a sense of searching. Nice work.

All good. Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7

1. 6:57 – really nice dusky tune: rolling trumpet solo, strong drumming drives it
2. 5:48 – lyrical intro, then a burner: trumpet & saxes dig in over speedy swing
3. 8:07 – lovely McCoy Tyner ballad: warm backing, horns stand out sharply
4. 6:52 – great ensemble sound on a relaxed breezy tune; bright sax/trumpet
5. 7:43 – bustling uptempo hardbop: theme is repetitive but solos really burn!
6. 7:08 – cool strolling groove: very loose ensemble playing, hot sax solo
7. 8:22 – bright, uptempo, like a theme song: bass & piano have lots to do
8. 8:02 – soulful Tyner ballad with very Miles-y muted trumpet, strong sax solo

[ Fo ] - 9 June 2013