Upon seeing that
Reality Tonic
opens with
Charlie Parker
's
"Au Privave,"
one might assume that tenor saxophonist
Jay Collins
is strictly a
hard bopper
. But
Collins
isn't the type of artist who gives listeners all
bop
all the time; this 1995 date has one foot in '40s/'50s
hard bop
and the other in '60s
post-bop
.
has one foot in the
world
of
Bird
,
Sonny Stitt
Wardell Gray
Dexter Gordon
, and
"I Got Rhythm"
changes, and the other in the
John Coltrane
Yusef Lateef
Pharoah Sanders
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
-- a
and
modal jazz
that has a spiritual outlook and a healthy appreciation of Middle Eastern, African, and Asian music. And
wears both hats well, although his
material tends to be more risk-taking.
is hell-bent for
on an ultra-fast, highly conventional performance of the overdone
Cole Porter
standard
"It's All Right With Me,"
which offers eight minutes of
cliches and has more to do with technique than imagination. However, the saxman's version of
"Au Privave"
is a bit more interesting because he plays it at a slower tempo than usual. But
(who plays the Indian bansuri flute as a second instrument) is at his best on the album's
music-influenced
selections, which aren't just about showing off his chops -- they're about feeling, expression, and spirituality.
' pyrotechnics on
"It's All Right With Me"
aren't nearly as memorable as his use of
music influences on
"Temple on the Mountain"
(which has a strong
Jewish
/
Hebrew
flavor) and the African-minded
"Unsung Hero."
And on
"Folk Study,"
he successfully incorporates both
Celtic
and African elements.
isn't perfect, but all things considered, it's a nice CD to have in one's collection. ~ Alex Henderson