The Cookers Time and Time Again

Of course it is simplistic to describe The Cookers as an band of Hard Bop All Stars, but certainly the music here has its roots in the over 250 years of aggregate experience its members have. With one exception, Donald Harrison replacing Craig Handy on alto sax, the group’s line-up remains the same with Billy Harper on tenor sax, Dr. Eddie Henderson and David Weiss on trumpet; George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass and Billy Hart on drums. The members of The Cookers have experience playing with some of the greatest jazz artists of the past half century including Art Pepper, Dexter Gordon, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, Max Roach, and Art Blakey. Additionally, every member is a leader of their own right as well as being notable composers and players.

Motema Music has issued their fourth CD, Time and Time Again and the album brings forth some vintage compositions such as Billy Harper’s Sir Galahad which was from his 1973 debut album Capra Black, while Cecil McBee contributes two new compositions. Other compositions are from the pens of Cables, Weiss and Hart for a program of music whose vitality is convincing proof that band’s name is deserved on the nine performances heard here

The tone is set with the opening Sir Galahad which opens with some very robust playing from Hart, followed by Weiss, Harrison and Cables. McBee’s original blues Slippin’ and Slidin’ provides a chance for the members to show the continual relevance of the blues with Harper, Weiss and McBee showcased with fine work. Cables Double Or Nothing is another burner with Harrison and Weiss shining before Hart explodes in his solo. It is followed by Cables tribute to the late Mulgrew Miller, Farewell Mulgrew with Weiss’ providing the horns arrangement whose ensemble playing sets the atmosphere for Cables playing being stately and moving. Harper again displays just how riveting a tenor saxophonist he is on Weiss Three Fall followed by the composer’s hot trumpet and terrific support from the rhythm section.

The title track, a Harper original is built upon a bass ostinato from McBee and includes more stirring playing from Harper, Henderson and Cables along with the superb rhythm section. The mix of strong compositions, solid ensemble playing with the superb rhythm section and the mix of technical mastery, passion, imagination and inventiveness make Time and Time Again another outstanding recording by The Cookers.

I received my review copy from a publicist.  Here is a video related to Sir Galahad and the album.

The Cookers "Cast The First Stone"

Taking their name from a series of classic Blue Note live recordings, The Cookers is an ensemble built upon some of the strongest jazz musicians of the past half century or so. With the tenor saxophone of Billy Harper and trumpet of Eddie Henderson they are supported by a rhythm section of pianist George Cables, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart. These five have graced clubs, stages and recording studios with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Max Roach, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Art Blakey and countess others, while each also establishing a formidable legacy of their own.

More recently they have been joined by younger players in their tradition: trumpeter Dan Weiss and alto saxophonist Craig Handy. Weiss in fact has become the band’s straw boss and produced the group’s latest disc, Cast the First Stone (Plus Loin Music). Saxophonist Azar Lawrence guests on several tracks on this. The compositions are originals from Harper, McBee and Cables with one exception.

The title track is a Harper original built around a punchy four note figure that sports tempo changes in its melody and displays the band’s fiery approach that may suggest some of the recordings by Woody Shaw and others from the seventies and eighties with the energetic ensembles and surging solos from Harper, Weiss and Cables. The latter mixes in a more melodic segment as McBee buzzes around him and Hart mixes in adept use of accents on his cymbals, before Harper takes the lead with some fiery playing followed. The nature of the composition gives the performance a rougher feel. McBee’s Peacemaker has a lighter, more supple tone with Henderson taking the initial solo employing a mute. He is followed by a lengthy solo from Craig Handy and then McBee, as Cables and Hart softly play under him.

Cables’ Looking For Light has an elegance to it. Guest Azar Lawrence adds some alluring soprano, soloing along with Henderson (again using a mute) and Cables reinforcing the spirit of the performance. Harper’s The Seventh Day has a more forceful cast, followed by the uplifting Croquet Ballet. Harper, Weiss and Cables solo on both numbers while the latter tune also includes a solo from Handy. After Cables’ Think of Me where Henderson soars, the recording concludes with Harold Mabern’s The Chief, that features dynamic tenor sax solos from Lawrence and Harper, and a drum solo by Hart. It concludes a strong recording.

This is not simply an all-star band put together for the studio, but a working group as evident through the striking performances of fresh, engaging material.

A publicist provided me with my review copy. 

Here are The Cookers (with Kirk Lightsey in lieu of George Cables).

Musical Wisdom From Pharoah Sanders

Among the recent reissues of classic Impulse releases as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Impulse, there has been a CD containing two of his CDs, Village of the Pharoahs/ Wisdom Through Music. These albums date from the early 1970s after his path making earlier Impulse recordings that made use of rhythmic trance-inducing vamps and a raw, blues-rooted tenor sax style that on these albums may have some rough edges but also less of the high crying overblowing of some of his earlier recordings including those he made working with John Coltrane. He also made use of vocals including wordless chanting. Wisdom Through Music has a smaller group including pianist Joe Bonner, bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Norman Connors and percussionist Lawrence Killian, all of whom are part of the larger group on Village of the Pharaohs which also includes bassists Stanley Clarke and Calvin Hill, drummer Jimmy Hopps and vocalist and percussionist Sedatrius Brown.

The title track of Village of the Pharaohs is in three parts with Sanders on soprano sax sounding like a cross between a snake charmer and a rhythm and blues wailer and in the third part has an exchange in vocalizing and chants with Brown. “Mansion Worlds is another number which evokes The Creator Has a Master Plan, with Bonner setting forth the theme with a driving vamp and percussion with Sanders adding his soprano. Went Like It Came comes off as a rhythm’n’blues gospel infected blues with Sanders on tenor sax and Sedatrius Brown featured on the bluesy vocal. I had the pleasure of seeing this multi-talented woman (a terrific organist as well as singer) over a decade ago in Washington DC, but I understand she has devoted herself to gospel music.

In many respects, Sanders music was world jazz before that term, or ‘world music’ was coined, and heard on Wisdom Through Music. African grooves are most evident on High Life, with Sanders leading the rough house vocalizing of the Afro-Beat grooves before taking a robust tenor sax solo with some honks and squeals, followed by Love Is Everywhere, where he chants (mainly the title phrase) with the band echoing his chant. The title track finds Sanders playing soprano with a bagpipes quality with an intriguing backing.

These are not the best known of Sanders Impulse albums perhaps, but they certainly should be of interest to those who have followed his music (and may have overlooked these when they came out like I did) as well as interested in the important output of the Impulse label.

I received my review copy from Jazz & Blues Report for whom this review was written. Here is a you tube video of Pharoah Sanders.