Vanished Gardens

Reviewed: 2018-06-19
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: A more unlikely combination I cannot imagine and it works beautifully! The band ROCKS throughout, playing jazz with a western tinge, and the gravelly voice of Williams fits right in. She doesn’t sing on every track, and the instrumentals have a life of their own. Bill Frissell plays his ass off.
If You Like: Emmylou Harris’ “Wrecking Ball”, Wayne Shorter, Neil Young’s “Weld”
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Defiant (8:41) – sax starts> slow melodious jam swells in volume> guitar kicks in> slow jam> slow fade
*2/ Dust (7:58) – drums start> slow jam & song> blowing sax solo> gritty guitar/sax duet> song increases in intensity> wailing instrumental jam> long slow fade
*3/ Vanished Gardens (9:03) – guitar starts> spacey midtempo jam gradually adds instruments> sonic guitar/sax duet> midtempo space jam slows to slow jam> slow fade
*4/ Ventura (6:22) – mellow sliding guitar starts> slow song> sax solo to fade
*5/ Ballad Of The Sad Young Men (6:17) – mellow guitar starts> slow jam>guitar solo> gorgeous sax solo> slow jam> slow fade
6/ We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Around (6:30) – sax starts> slow song> sax solo> slow song with wild sax underneath> slow fade
7/ Blues for Langston & LaRue (5:38) – guitar starts> slow jam with flute> guitar solo> flute solo> slow jam> slow fade
**8/Unsuffer Me (11:42) - bass/drums start> slow song> sonic guitar solo> slow song> guitar solo> guitar/sax rip it up> rocking midtempo jam> long slow fade
*9/ Monk’s Mood (5:15) – guitar solo starts slow> guitar/sax duet> slow fade
10/ Angel (5:53) – guitar starts slow song cover of Hendrix tune> gorgeous sax solo> slow song> slow fade