Christian McCoy Tyner-esque touches full and

McBride & inspired, saxist Steve Wilson’s bright

Inside Straight alto a deft counterweight, everything
Kind Of Brown suddenly buttressed by more soloing
MACK AVENUE 1047
from McBride. Indeed, the arrange-
AAA1/2 ments keep the listener engaged, cre-
ating the picture of an improvising
If you’re listening for band enveloped by a fluid structure
any ties to Miles that keeps things moving inside an
Davis’ Kind Of Blue invisible network of interactions, each
here, you’ll be hard-pressed. Christian song mixing up who comes next.
McBride’s latest title suggests more a play on And just when one thinks the sound of the
words than anything else. And his Inside band is geared around Wilson’s horn and
Straight band is all about playing inside and, Warren Wolf Jr.’s vibes—the two helping to
well, straight, as in straightahead. Straight- define many of the songs’ theme statements—
ahead, in this case, allows for a few side trips it’s McBride’s ever-present touch and Reed’s
off the beaten swing path, e.g., the funk flavors supportive playing that come to the fore.
Bobby Broom
Plays For Monk
of “Brother Mister,” which opens the set, and With Carl Allen’s active but never overbear- ORIGIN 82534
the lyrical Latin bent of “Starbeam.” But most- ing drumming, Inside Straight is the picture of a
AAAA
ly, the band shines when it’s all about the band seemingly made for each other.
swinging groove, as when McBride starts off Paradoxically, Inside Straight’s cohesiveness Thelonious Monk’s music—with its quirky and
“Theme For Kareem” with one of his many can also be a drawback, their obvious profes- challenging melodies, compelling progressions
exceptional solos. sionalism on display across 10 listenable but oft- and traces of humor and poignancy running
Kind Of Brown is laced with a blues feeling times nondescript tunes. McBride’s bass playing through everything—is the gift that keeps on
if not the blues. In this spirit, McBride’s produc- ultimately steals the show . —John Ephland giving. His tunes, in the right hands, can sound
tion creates a setting where every player gets Kind Of Brown: Brother Mister; Theme For Kareem; Rainbow Wheel;
eternally fresh. So it’s no big surprise that well-
into the act as if to make a simple statement and Starbeam; Used ’Ta Could; The Shade Of The Cedar Tree; Pursuit Of traveled guitarist Bobby Broom (a regular with
then moves off center stage. Shades of the clas- Peace; Uncle James; Stick & Move; Where Are You? (64:21) Sonny Rollins, Dr. John and Chicago’s Deep
sic John Coltrane Quartet are heard in the Personnel: Christian McBride, bass; Carl Allen, drums; Eric Scott Blue Organ Trio) is handily able to turn 10
Reed, piano; Steve Wilson, saxophone; Warren Wolf Jr., vibes.
bridges and beyond with the medium-tempo pieces written by or associated with Monk into
» Ordering info: mackavenue.com
swinger “Rainbow Wheel,” pianist Eric Reed’s small gems of musical discovery.
The cover of Plays For Monk is a nod to
the art from the 1957 album Monk’s Music,
Ronnie Earl & The out front (he’s employed a gospel with Broom’s guitar placed in the spot Monk
Broadcasters group before, and here again on occupied on the old cover. Joined by regular
Living In The Light Bob Dylan’s “What Can I Do For trio mates Dennis Carroll on bass and Kobie
STONY PLAIN 1340 You?”). Earl’s close friend Kim Watkins on drums, Broom takes on only one
AAA1/2 Wilson lends uninteresting, piece from that recording, a gorgeous, carefully
strained vocals to three straight sculpted rendition of the melancholy infused
On his new studio album, blues, including Earl’s open-wound ballad “Ruby, My Dear.” He stretches his
Earl makes his blues-and- Holocaust song, “Child Of A sprawling, bluesy lines over the slow-ticking
more guitar music unfold Survivor.” rhythm section, staying just behind the beat for
at a junction of deeply felt Dave Keller, a singer-guitarist maximum tension-and-release pleasure.
emotion and moral uprightness. As always, he’s based in Vermont, has sincerity in reserve, but he Broom skips some of the most-played
in quest of transcendence, and it appears that he doesn’t fare any better than Wilson when vocal- Monk tunes (like “’Round Midnight” and
does “live in the light” for more than hour by izing Earl’s peace-anthem “Love, Love, Love” “Straight, No Chaser”) in favor of others, like
using his old Stratocasters to challenge and rise and Dylan’s “What Can I Do For You?” Well, gently twisting opener “Ask Me Now,” which
above the dark inner turbulence he knows. who might match the outstanding sensitivity of opens up for Carroll’s conversant bass solo; the
Pitting high register against low, contrasting Earl’s guitar in the former song and contribute tricky, brushes-sizzling “Work,” complete with
shaken single notes with chords, channeling riffs marvelous uplift to the latter? Absentees Darrell a dancing fours-trading section with Watkins;
as if in supernatural communion with blues, soul Nulisch, Susan Tedeschi and Mighty Sam and a parade-marching “Bemsha Swing.” The
and jazz heroes in Elysian Fields above, Earl McClain. Totally in agreement with Earl and his trio fronts “In Walked Bud” with 16 bars of
keeps seven instrumentals fresh and irresistible keen sense of musical spirituality is fine drum- grinding groove work, and Broom spikes the
over many listens. Each shuffle, boogie, or slow mer Lorne Entress—a committed, long-term up-tempo “Rhythm-a-ning” with a surprising
groove has an emotional touchstone: a physician member of Earl’s flock. —Frank-John Hadley chord substitution. He caps the set with a shim-
(“S. O. S”); a recently departed, dear-to-his-heart mering solo-guitar reading of the standard
colleague (“Blues For Fathead”); his wife Living In The Light: Love, Love, Love; S. O. S.; Take A Little
Walk With Me; River Charles Blues; What Can I Do For You?;
“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” a mesmerizing
(“Donna Lee”); Otis Rush’s Chicago (“Blues Recovery Blues; Blues For Fathead; Child Of A Survivor; Blues and inventive rendition that calls for more.
For The South Side”); even the waterway cele- For The South Side; Ain’t Nobody’s Business; Donna Lee; —Philip Booth
brated by Thoreau and the transcendentalists that Pastorale. (70:19)
Personnel: Ronnie Earl, guitar; Dave Limina, Hammond B-3 Plays For Monk: Ask Me Now; Evidence; Ruby, My Dear; In
flows near his home in rural Massachusetts organ, piano; Jim Mouradian, bass; Lorne Entress, drums; Kim Walked Bud; Lulu’s Back In Town; Reflections; Work; Rhythm-
(“River Charles Blues”). Earl is ever so grateful Wilson, harmonica and vocals (3, 8, 11); Dave Keller, vocals (1, a-ning; Bemsha Swing; Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. (56:41)
for the people and nature in his life. 5); David Maxwell, piano (3, 8); Rod Carey, bass (8); Jason Personnel: Bobby Broom, guitar; Dennis Carroll, bass; Kobie
James, second guitar (4); church choir (5). Watkins, drums.
Living In The Light differs from the albums
Earl made earlier this decade by having a singer » Ordering info: stonyplainrecords.com » Ordering info: origin-records.com

68 DOWNBEAT September 2009