Legends & Mentors

Sharpe, Avery
Jknm Records
Jazz | May 2008

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2008-05-18
AVERY SHARPE: Legends & Mentors
JKNM, 2008

MODERN JAZZ – A stalwart on the scene since the 1970s, bassist Sharpe pays tribute to three of the giants he's backed up over the years: McCoy Tyner, Archie Shepp and Yusef Lateef. For each artist, Sharpe has written one original that captures the essence of his subject, then plays two covers. He gets a nice retro-forward balance, essentially mainstream but unique, best on the originals and Lateef numbers.

Fo's Picks: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9

1. 6:09 – cool modernist groove invokes Tyner's style; nice round of solos
2. 6:42 – sweet ballad with an exotic touch, flows with soul
3. 7:11 – midtempo but busy '70s tune with Brazilian flavor, clomps along
4. 6:20 – somewhat askew blues, friendly atmosphere, good bass solo
5. 4:45 – relaxed flow with astringent soprano sax, another fine bass solo
6. 4:37 – uptempo rolling sound, violin up front, sleek piano & sax solos
7. 7:54 – exotic feel, 6/4 time, flute & violin explore, odd bass & drum solos
8. 5:40 – pleasant african walk, catchy melody & neat percussive groove
9. 11:22 – quick-paced and energetic, lots of freedom in the solos

[Fo] – 5/18/08

Recent airplay

Morning
Music CasseroleNov 11, 2023
Gentle Giant (Bro. Lateef)
No Cover, No MinimumJul 18, 2008
Morning
Big Mac (Bro. Tyner)
No Cover, No MinimumJun 06, 2008
Big Mac (Bro. Tyner)
Now's the timeMay 26, 2008
Morning
No Cover, No MinimumMay 23, 2008

Charting

2008-05-18 — 2008-07-20 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
Jul 20 1
Jul 6 1
Jun 8 1
Jun 1 1
May 25 3

Track listing

1. Big Mac (Bro. Tyner)
2. Ballad For Aisha
3. Fly With The Wind
4. The Chief (Bro. Shepp)
5. Steam
6. Ujaama
7. Gentle Giant (Bro. Lateef)
8. Morning
9. Because They Love Me