Concord Records
2009
New Time, New 'tet
About This Album
At age eighty, tenor saxophonist, composer and band leader Benny Golson is still going strong, and although he experienced a few lean years, is very much a force on the modern mainstream jazz scene in the years of the 2000s. He has revived the spirit of his original Jazztet, co-founded with the late trumpeter Art Farmer, on several occasions since the ensemble was originally founded in 1959. This edition features a strong front line of Golson, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, and trombonist Steve Davis, players from different generations who completely understand the hard and post-bop language. The rhythm section is even more delicious, with pianist Mike LeDonne, peerless bassist Buster Williams, and younger drummer Carl Allen working together in the best sense of that ideal. As one of the more literate, articulate, and outspoken representatives of the jazz world, Golson continues to translate it into a broader base of influences. "Verdi's Voice" is a Baroque type waltz with harder edges from LeDonne and Williams, while the layered horn sections are at once kinetic and static. The rustic ballad "L'Adieu" with Henderson's muted trumpet echoes Chopin. In an uncomplicated romp that sounds Russian, "Gypsy Jingle-Jangle" bumps up to a fast hard bop like the original Jazztet, with Golson unshackled and flying.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 8)

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