Geri Allen - The Life of a Song

[Fred K]

Geri Allen/Dave Holland/Jack DeJohnette – The Life of a Song
Telarc, 2004 (Recorded January, 2004 in NYC)

This is the fist new release from Geri Allen in 6 years and in my opinion it’s the best thing she’s done in over 10 years. The band spent some time together on during Betty Carter’s “Feed the Fire” CD and tour and they sound great together here. Eight of the eleven songs are Geri Allen originals and are strong enough that “Lush Life” and “Dance of the Infidels” seem to be the weak links. On Mal Waldron’s “Soul Eyes” the trio is augmented by Marcus Belgrave (flugelhorn), Dwight Andrews (sax), and Clifton Anderson (trombone). The sound from the Telarc engineers is amazing and fitting for such a quality release.

[Ennis Snavely]

Interesting to see Dwight Andrews in this company, assuming it's the same guy who played with Anthony Davis, Jay Hoggard, etc.

[james harrigan]

thanks for the tip Fred, I'll have to check this out. Geri used to be one of my faves back in her pre-Roney days, but my allergic reaction to Lenny White has kept me away from her live and on CD for quite a while.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

Allen and Roney had cover stories with one of the glossies (Down Beat or Jazz Times). I was surprised to see both hadn't recorded in over 5 years. Anyway, I believe her CD is on it's way from Amazon. I LOVED the discs she did with Haden and Motian back in the day. A great artist.

[james harrigan]

Originally Posted by Darryl G. Thomas

Allen and Roney had cover stories with one of the glossies (Down Beat or Jazz Times). I was surprised to see both hadn't recorded in over 5 years. Anyway, I believe her CD is on it's way from Amazon. I LOVED the discs she did with Haden and Motian back in the day. A great artist.

Its less amazing when you realize they now have three kids - that will keep anyone busy. I agree about the discs with Haden and Motian; I was listening to "Live at the Vanguard" recently for the first time in a while and was just as impressed as I was when I first heard it a decade or so ago.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

For some reason she reminded me of Joe Henderson. They have this way of playing both "inside" and "out".

The Haden/Motian band was something else. Both players are really close to the top of my lists as favorites on their instruments.

I'm really looking forward to this CD.

[Ennis Snavely]

Wallace is from DC. He used to play around here in the early '80s with a quintet that featured his brother Antione (what happened to him?), Geri Allen, Clarence Seay and Cindy Blackmon. I remember it being a pretty good group, except Blackmon was a little green at the time.

The last I saw of Antione was with Roy Haynes here at the one step down. He had Vincent Herring with him too that night. I had never heard of Herring until then and he really impressed me that night. Antione was a pretty good tenor player, from what I remember.

More nostalgia for when we had a passable jazz scene here.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Originally Posted by Ennis Snavely

Interesting to see Dwight Andrews in this company, assuming it's the same guy who played with Anthony Davis, Jay Hoggard, etc.

Dwight Andrews is back? I tried to get him to play and record with me in Atlanta, where he now preaches, but he was reluctant to bite. He only plays, I believe, with Geri, because of their Detroit connection.

Thanks for the tip, En.

[Jesse]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

Dwight Andrews is back? I tried to get him to play and record with me in Atlanta, where he now preaches, but he was reluctant to bite.

Play him the Hymns, Dennis. He'll bite. And testify!


Jesse

[relyles]

I have had a chance to listen to this one several times and enjoy it very much. I am a little biased because I am a big Geri Allen fan, but I am extremely happy to hear something new under her leadership after all this time. As always her compositions are interesting, and her playing very imaginative.

[Gentle Giant]

I've enjoyed hearing Geri on albums as a sideman (sideperson?) in the past, but when I saw her with Charles Lloyd a year or two ago, it was revelatory. I've been meaning to pick up one of her own sessions; is this the place to start?

[james harrigan]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

I've enjoyed hearing Geri on albums as a sideman (sideperson?) in the past, but when I saw her with Charles Lloyd a year or two ago, it was revelatory. I've been meaning to pick up one of her own sessions; is this the place to start?

I haven't heard this one yet, but I can't imagine it is any better than her sets with Haden and Motian: Etudes (Soul Note) and Live at the Village Vanguard (DIW) are the best.

[mke]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

sideman (sideperson?)

Um, what's wrong with sidewoman? Not sure she'd go for it, but sidegirl has a cool comic book feel to it.

[james harrigan]

I finally picked this up yesterday, and on first listen my reaction is: Geri is back. Anyone who dug her early trio work should check this out. I'm looking forward to really absorbing this album over the next few weeks.

[jazzy mary]

I heard a beautiful cut on the radio last night--Lush Life.

[Ennis Snavely]

I think her first recording as a leader, "The Printmakers" with Anthony Cox (!) and Andrew Cyrille, is pretty good.

I'm going to put this on my list. Dwight is a great player.

[Fred K]

up

[moneyp]

Allen/Haden/Motian, IN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON and LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD. Both excellent.

[Lastonein]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

I've enjoyed hearing Geri on albums as a sideman (sideperson?) in the past, but when I saw her with Charles Lloyd a year or two ago, it was revelatory. I've been meaning to pick up one of her own sessions; is this the place to start?

GG, For me this is her best for quite a while but totally agree with the suggestion that the Motian/Haden trio recordings are excellent (Etudes my own favourite).

Can also recommend these as very good examples of her work as a side-artist. (If they are still available).

Greg Osby "Mind Games" JMT
Ralph Peterson "Triangular" Blue Note
Craig Handy "Reflections in Change" Sirocco

[Steve Reynolds]

love the trio recordings with Haden & Motian - the take of Lonely Woman remains special in my heart - and anyone who can play with these two and not have me yearn for Paul Bley in her place must be special


thank the lord that Lenny White isn't on the new one - I remember vividly trying to listen to the verve release from the late 90's with balance so bad and White booming away on the drums - one of the truly awful jazz recordings of the decade that I was unfortunate enough to have shed bucks for

also have a deep affinity for the mid-eighties trio date, The Printmakers - she reminded me at the time in her vitlaity of Amina Caludine Myers - lately little of that promise has come to fuition in my mind

always thought Geri was fine player - but I could never oversome my thoughts that she was poor girl's version of Myra Melford

maybe it is the influence of her husband

[james harrigan]

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

thank the lord that Lenny White isn't on the new one - I remember vividly trying to listen to the verve release from the late 90's with balance so bad and White booming away on the drums - one of the truly awful jazz recordings of the decade that I was unfortunate enough to have shed bucks for

I am mystified by Lenny White. To my ears, he's the epitome of a certain type of bad drummer: loud, unsubtle, clueless. He ruined a performance I saw by Geri at the Vanguard a number of years ago, and he's ruined a number of records I own. I now boycott all albums and concerts where he appears.

so the mystery is, why does a brilliant and sensitive musician like Geri Allen play with him???

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

always thought Geri was fine player - but I could never oversome my thoughts that she was poor girl's version of Myra Melford

I don't think Allen and Melford (both of whom I like a lot) have any similarities at all except gender. Steve's comment reminds me of when people compare Brad Mehldau to Bill Evans, two players who have nothing in common except skin color.

[Pete C]

I agree with James, comparing Allen with Melford is about as ludicrous as it gets.

Allen must have a soft spot for loud, unsubtle drummers. She worked with Ralph Peterson and gushed about him in that awful Ingrid Monson book.

[Capt.W./TX.]

Am a fan of Geri's playing-especially the above-mentioned trio albums with Haden & Motian.

Saw her in Boston 10 years ago with a band that included Wallace, Greg Hutchinson (drums), Scott Colley (bass) and Ravi Coltrane (on tenor; the first thing I noticed was that he doesn't sound like his famous father!).

Anybody know if THAT group ever recorded?

[BaconFat]

I love Geri Allen all the way back to her contributions to Steve Coleman's
M-base. (The Glide Was In The Ride!) Seriously under-rated musician and
beautiful composer to boot. Had to buy the new CD and though I like it
I have to admit Maroons is still my favorite album of hers. I also like the
Ornette Coleman album; only Geri and James Ulmer make sense of Ornette
for me. It was like " Ohhhhhh, now I get it." (Though I still think the harmolodic theory is 9 parts hocus pocus.) But Geri's manipulation of time in her music with simple intervals gets me almost as much as Monk's playing " the notes between the notes". ?Why aren't woman pianists celebrated as much as the fellas. Even Nina Simone's piano work got over-shadowed by her singing,virtuouso that she was.

[Stuckinagroove]

I saw her live once, great player. I'll have to get this.

[jazzy mary]

I thought someone had already started a review of this, but I couldn't find it. I got this this weekend with a big cache of cds I got from BMG. It only cost me $3.00--basically the S & H. Anyone else know this disc? I really like it. I think it's an excellent trio date w/ Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette rounding out a fantastic trio w/ Geri. They really play well together and I love DeJohnette's cymbal work.

This is a really solid record which will get a lot of play from me. "Lush Life" is one of the highlights for me. The cd packaging is beautiful and artful too. Geri looks gorgeous on the cover.

[Uli]

Up for JM.

[jazzy mary]

Thanks, Uli, but now I'll have to move mine. I guess I can cut & paste.

[Uli]

It's on my to get list.

[Uli]

I am sure Lois can fix it, JM