| | Survivor CD - Import Donald Harrison Discography of CDs
Cultural critic Greil Marcus wrote a scathing essay at the end of the 1970s about the rampant overuse of the word "survivor" in modern life. Over 25 years on, musicians of a certain age arguably have more of a right to use the S-word, especially a saxophonist like Donald Harrison, who has stayed true to his own soul-jazz path since his early days as a sideman despite the fact that his brand of funk-influenced hard bop has rarely been the least bit fashionable, even among many jazz listeners. The Survivor is a timeless album, most of which sounds like it could have come from any point in Harrison's career. Yet it's no mere nostalgia kick, because underneath Harrison's sterling alto work, the rhythm section sounds fairly attuned to contemporary trends. "The Hook Up" in particular has a skittering, hip-hop-influenced vibe to John Lamkin's drums; the closing track takes it all the way, being a mash-up of Harrison playing the Duke Ellington standard "Caravan" over a turntablist and a sample of James Brown's iconic "Funky Drummer" beat, perhaps the most-used sample in hip-hop history. The reason this track works in the context of more standard Harrison fare as the gentle original ballad "Sincerely Yours," rather than sounding like a stab at cultural relevance from an aging player, is that funk in all its forms has been at the root of not only Harrison's own music, but of this particular jazz path since the days of Miles Davis' "Walkin'" back in the early '50s. "Survivor" may still be overstating the case a bit, but The Survivor shows that far from being an esoteric form for aesthetic snobs and old folks, Harrison's music has grown along a parallel path to more familiar styles, and moves easily back and forth between them. ~ Stewart Mason
Recording information: The Studio, NY (11/22/2004).
Personnel: Donald Harrison (alto saxophone); Donald Harrison; Christian Scott (trumpet); Zaccai Curtis, Mulgrew Miller (piano); John Lamkin (drums).
Audio Mixer: Florian Sommer.
Down Beat (p.85) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "He has always dabbled beyond pure jazz, but the album takes the itch a step further, concentrating on hip-hop beats and funky attitudes." Survivor Songs | 1. | Survivor, The | |
| 2. | Twerk It | |
| 3. | Summertime | |
| 4. | Cool Breeze | |
| 5. | Hook Up, The | |
| 6. | Oriental Folk Song | |
| 7. | Nouveau Swing | |
| 8. | Sincerely Yours | $0.99 | |
| 9. | Caravan (Who Is the Funky Drummer) | |
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Survivor Review
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Purchase Survivor CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Charles Lloyd Jumping The Creek CD (2005)
Survivor album
 $14.65  
Since making a middle-of-life comeback in the 1990s, saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Charles Lloyd has continually issued fascinating recordings. While some of them contain missteps, it's not for lack of ambition. For one of jazz's elder statesmen, Lloyd pushes his envelope of ideas about improvisation, rhythm and harmony, often to the breaking point. He is a player who sets sometimes impossibly high goals for himself, but in so doing, gives listeners something to really hold on to when encountering one of his albums or seeing him live. Jumping the Creek, which continues his association with ECM Records, is another compelling affair. The band -- pianist Geri Allen, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Eric Harland -- is simply outstanding. Allen, particularly, hasn't shined on a record like this thus far this decade. Lloyd's compositional ideas here come from rhythmic phrases, small harmonic vamps and emotional thematics. Lloyd engages his quartet in various ways, sometimes in duets, sometimes trios, sometimes as a full band, often during the same composition. The whole quartet does engage fully on the 13-plus-minute opener "Ne Me Quitte Pas," with skeletal phrases becoming larger, striated harmonic statements as Allen uses both modal and post-bop concerns to flesh out the body of the tune. The saxophone/drums duet in "Ken ...
| | Wynton Marsalis Live At The House Of Tribes CD (2005)
Survivor CD music
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This live set finds jazz ambassador Wynton Marsalis doing what he does best--that is, playing straightforward, bop-inflected jazz with flawless technique. Marsalis pays homage to the masters with versions of Thelonious Monk's "Green ...
| | Charlie Haden Not In Our Name CD (2005)
Survivor music CDs
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Pianist Carla Bley is the only returning member of the original LMO. As before, she proves to be a triple threat with her dexterous playing, intuitive conducting, and inventive arrangements. Haden, of course, anchors these tunes (which include his own eclectic title track and a soulful rendition of "Amazing Grace") with his formidable--though never flashy--bass work, allowing the other musicians, particularly guitarist Steve Cardenas and trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, to shine. This is big-band music that can shift with ease from avant-garde passages to swinging melodies, and the talent on hand adds weight to the underlying messages. Although it's difficult to express political outrage with jazz instrumentals, the LMO does exactly that on NOT IN OUR NAME, conveying discontent, sadness, and even hope with a potent, masterful set of songs.
With a cover that ...
| | Sonny Rollins Without A Song: The 9/11 Concert CD (2005)
Survivor songs
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Recorded on September 15th, 2001, WITHOUT A SONG is a live recording by jazz icon Sonny Rollins, observing the World Trade Center disaster that occurred just four days prior to the concert. Rollins was one of the few musicians from jazz's golden age still performing with a sense of vitality, and that is especially clear on this recording, which is imbued with the gravity appropriate to the aforementioned tragedy.
Yet the proceedings are never overwhelmed by pathos or grief. Instead, Rollins and his five-piece ensemble offer spirited takes on the standards "Where or When" and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley ...
| | Mccoy Tyner Passion Dance CD (1978)
Survivor album
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Recorded in 1978 at Tokyo's Live Under the Sky festival. PASSION DANCE presents McCoy Tyner in top form. On two out of five tracks, the jazz pianist is accompanied by bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, who lay down a foundation of percolating rhythms that Tyner can deftly glide across. The interplay between ...
| | Stanley Turrentine That's Where It's At CD (1962) Bonus Track; Remastered
Survivor CD music
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A Blue Note release with Les McCann on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Otis Finch on drums. Small group format. Excellent (and exciting) soul-jazz session with Turrentine blowing hot. ~ Ron Wynn & Michael Erlewine
This 1962 session places tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine in the company of pianist Les McCann, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Otis Finch. Of the six cuts on the original release, McCann, who was already in serious soul-jazz territory, wrote four. His meaty three- and four-chord figures are prominently placed and, as always, his sense of time and swing are everywhere. "Smile, Stacey" kicks it off in full blowing fare with Turrentine walking the line between soul-jazz and hard bop like a tightrope. His earthy tone is particularly muscular and quick here. His own blues ballad, "Soft Pedal Blues," follows, with Turrentine doing his best Ben Webster with slow, smoky breathy tones and McCann trilling across the top on the turnarounds. The slippery soul-blues of "Pia" is ...
| | Preservation Hall Jazz Band When The Saints Go Marchin' In (New Orleans, Vol. 3) CD (1982)
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| | Belcea Quartet Debut - Debussy, Dutilleux, Ravel: String Quartets / Belcea CD (2001)
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| | Great Moments In Cello Playing / Casals, Piatigorsky, Et Al CD (2001)
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$2.99 | | Gryphon Trio Mendelssohn, Lalo: Piano Trios CD (2002)
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Live Recording
| | Enescu Festival Of Romanian Music / Ernst & Lory Wallfisch CD (2007)
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