GRACHAN MONCUR III Lee MORGAN EVOLUTION Vinyl LP MINT Shrink BLUE NOTE BST-84153
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Description
VJTV's JAZZ SALE
PRISTINE Audiophile 180 Gram Remastered BLUE NOTE Reissue
STUNNING SOUND QUALITY is KNOWN FROM THESE BLUE NOTE REISSUE. THSI ONE IS UN PLAYED MUSEUM MINT. BE THE FIRST TO LISTEN
Evolution Review
by Steve Huey
One of the New Thing's extremely few trombonists and a greatly underappreciated composer of tremendous evocative power, Grachan Moncur III got his first major exposure on Jackie McLean's groundbreaking 1963 masterpiece, One Step Beyond. Toward the end of the year, most of the same musicians reconvened for Moncur's debut as a leader, Evolution; McLean, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, and drummer Tony Williams are all back, with Bob Cranshaw on bass and an extra voice in trumpeter Lee Morgan, moonlighting from his usual groovy hard bop style. While Moncur takes a little more solo space here, the main emphasis is on his talent as a composer. The four originals are all extended, multi-sectioned works (the shortest is around eight minutes), all quite ambitious, and all terrifically moody; much of the album sounds sinister and foreboding, and even the brighter material has a twisted, surreal fun-house undercurrent. Part of that is due to the accuracy with which the musicians interpret Moncur's vision. Hutcherson provides his trademark floating chordal accompaniment, which is crucial to the overall texture; what's more, the album features some of McLean's weirdest playing ever, and some of Morgan's most impressively advanced, as he makes the most of a situation he longed to be in more often. Of the pieces, "Monk in Wonderland" is the most memorable; its whimsical, angular theme is offset by Hutcherson's mysterious vibes, which create a trippy effect in keeping with the title. "Air Raid" is alternately ominous and terrifyingly frantic, and the funereal title track keeps time only in the pulse of the horns and the backing, which is based entirely on whole notes. With such an inventive debut, it's a shame Moncur didn't record more as a leader, which makes Evolution an even more important item for fans of Blue Note's avant-garde to track down.
Grachan Moncur III – Evolution
Label: Blue Note – BST 84153 Series: Back To Blue, Blue Note Records 75th Anniversary Vinyl Initiative Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 180 gram Country: Europe Released: Mar 19, 2015 Genre: Jazz Style: Free Jazz, Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz A1Air Raid A2
Evolution B1
The Coaster B2
Monk In Wonderland
- Recorded At – Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
- Pressed By – Optimal Media GmbH – BF79622
- Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean
- Bass – Bob Cranshaw
- Design [Cover] – Reid Miles
- Drums – Anthony Williams
- Lacquer Cut By – KR (3)
- Liner Notes – A. B. Spellman*
- Photography By [Cover Photo] – Francis Wolff
- Producer – Alfred Lion
- Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
- Trombone, Written-By – Grachan Moncur III
- Trumpet – Lee Morgan
- Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson
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