Reviewed: 2019-07-09
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: As playful, sturdy and vaguely funky as the material is on MLK Convergence, the album's title works to reference the civil rights icon as much as the first letters in the names of the trio's principal members, The music and activism of the '60s provide an inspiration for many of the original compositions, while the current social conditions added an urgency. Bassist Rosenberg’s relationships with Barron and Nash going back decades contributes the warmth, love and camaraderie that envelops the proceedings. Christian McBride doubles on bass on 3 & 9.
If You Like: Ron Carter, Jimmy garrison, Les McCann, Art Blakey
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
**1/ American Violet (5:14) – bass starts> midtempo jam> piano solo> bass solo> midtempo jam> slow fade
*2/ Togetherness (4:29) – piano starts> uptempo jam> slows to midtempo> basssolo> piano solo> midtempo jam swings uptempo> crescendo end
***3/ Not The Song I Wanna Sing (7:36) – bass starts> midtempo song interspersed with spoken word poem around the black experience in America> bass solo> spoken word poem over bass solo> midtempo song> slow fade
4/ The Line Between (5:40) – drums start> uptempo jam> piano solo> bass solo> uptempo jam> quick fade
*5/ Rain (5:48) – piano starts> slow tempo jam> bass solo> piano solo> slow jam> slow fade
**6/ The Barron (4:57) – piano starts> uptempo jam> swinging piano solo> bass solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
7/ Circle Story (5:28) – piano starts> midtempo jam> bass solo> piano solo> midtempo jam> fade
*8/ Visions (5:49) – piano starts> midtempo jam with bowed bass> bowed bass solo> piano solo> midtempo jam> slow fade
**9/ And Still We Rise (4:42) – drums start> uptempo jam> piano solo> bowed bass solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
*10/ Loves in Need of Love Today (3:45) – piano starts> midtempo jam> bass solo> midtempo jam> fade