Courtney Pine Underground CD

Courtney Pine and company turn in an eclectic batch of tunes on UNDERGROUND. A hugely talented saxophonist, Pine is never satisfied to stand in one spot for long. In one song he may cover a myriad of bases from hip-hop to funk to hard-bop and any place in between. Generous use of samples and turntables and the accompaniment of young lions like Nicholas Payton, Mark Whitfield, and Cyrus Chestnut show right away this is no run-of-the-mill blowing session. Pine's improvisations alone reflect a rich background of influences from John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy to David Sanborn and Clarence Clemons.

From the outset, with tunes inspired by Eddie Harris, Cannonball Adderly, Alice Coltrane, Horace Silver and others, Pine's diverse skills are apparent as he weaves in and out of swing, funk and hip-hop grooves, all the while maintaining a sense that this cat came to PLAY! He is certainly not content to sit back and let the sampled grooves do all the work. Take away all the samples and effects and you still have a musician capable of expression and grace. This is one of Pine's most enjoyable outings to date.

Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, New York and The Strongroom, London, England from March 17-21 and 23-28, 1997. Includes liner notes by Courtney Pine.

Personnel: Courtney Pine (flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, programming); Jhelisa (vocals); Mark Whitfield (guitar); Nicholas Payton (trumpet); Cyrus Chestnut (piano, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums); DJ Pogo (turntables).

Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY (1997); Strongroom, London, England (1997).

Photographer: Kwaku Alston.

Arranger: Courtney Pine.

Personnel: Courtney Pine (soprano & tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, flute); Jhelisa (vocals); Nicholas Payton (trumpet); Cyrus Chestnut (acoustic piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Wurlitzer electric piano); Mark Whitfield (guitar); Reginald Veal (acoustic bass); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums); DJ Pogo (DJ).

Vibe (11/97, p.148) - "...UNDERGROUND balances avant-garde elements...with the mo' better blues-isms....Courtney Pine conducts matters with the stroke of a veritable jazz master..."
The Source (12/97, p.194) - "...Coming from England, a country not well known for much seminal material in either jazz or hip-hop, trumpeter Courtney Pine erases the boundaries on his latest project, UNDERGROUND..."
Option (11-12/97, pp.110-111) - "...Pine continues to tinker with a soul-jazz/hip-hop sound, which nonetheless leaves room for Pine's obvious debt to mid-1960's Coltrane....a major transcendental statement..."