Steve Gadd Band (BFM Jazz)
Steve Gadd Band
Released March 23, 2018
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album 2019
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_fisshGVQuQ&list=OLAK5uy_nlsAt-a4VbAyVfNZSgFqJFmhGY-ZpRq8E
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About:
This tasty set is the fourth from the airtight Steve Gadd Band. Atop Gadd’s distinctly supple sense of groove, we hear master pianist Kevin Hays (in for Larry Goldings) playing lots of earthy Rhodes with just the right touch—and singing on “Spring Song.” Michael Landau provides rhythmic snap and bluesy bite on guitar. Trumpeter Walt Fowler brings melodic focus with an unhurried, crystalline tone. Longtime Allan Holdsworth bassist Jimmy Johnson stays straightforward and in the pocket while hugging every compositional curve, not least on Holdsworth’s composition “Temporary Fault.”
Track Listing:
1. I Know But Tell Me Again (Steve Gadd / Jimmy Johnson) 04:51
2. Auckland by Numbers (Michael Landau) 05:20
3. Where’s Earth? (Duke Gadd / Kevin Hays / Michael Landau) 04:14
4. Foameopathy (Walt Fowler / Steve Gadd / Larry Goldings) 06:36
5. Skulk (Steve Gadd / Larry Goldings) 04:49
6. Norma’s Girl (Jimmy Johnson) 05:08
7. Rat Race (Duke Gadd / Michael Landau) 06:35
8. One Point Five (Jimmy Johnson) 4:12
9. Temporary Fault (Allan Holdsworth) 03:41
10. Spring Song (Kevin Hays) 04:53
11. Timpanogos (Walt Fowler) 05:34
Personnel:
Steve Gadd: drums
Walt Fowler: trumpet, flugelhorn
Michael Landau: guitar
Jimmy Johnson: bass
Duke Gadd: acoustic guitar (3), percussion (1, 7, 8)
Kevin Hays: keyboards, vocals
Recorded December 15 – 18, 2017, at Sphere Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Produced by Steve Gadd
Mastered by Greg Calbi
Mixed by Rich Breen
Assistant Engineer: Alejandro Baima
Cover artwork: Maria Friske
Review:
Drumming icon Steve Gadd has always sounded happiest when laying down golden tracks in the studio and serving as a sideman to the stars, only choosing to assume the mantle of leadership on rare occasions with session-men assemblages like the Gadd Gang or, more recently, the Gaddabouts (fronted by vocalist Edie Brickell). But in forming this group with his musical brethren from James Taylor’s touring outfit, Gadd has finally settled comfortably into the driver’s seat.
This eponymous album is the fourth release from this band in six years. There’s one notable change in the personnel department with this latest offering—pianist Kevin Hays fills the role formerly occupied by Larry Goldings—but that substitution does little to alter the tactics and tone of the group, which also includes guitarist Michael Landau, trumpeter/flugelhornist Walt Fowler and bassist Jimmy Johnson. As with its previous efforts, the Steve Gadd Band emphasizes feel, texture, grooves and holistic presentation over athletic feats.
Save for a take on the late Allan Holds-worth’s “Temporary Fault,” Gadd and company focus on originals throughout. These men operate with a fairly prudent posture—tempos are slow to modest, and solos are somewhat reserved in nature—but there’s enough stylistic variety to maintain interest. In shifting moods and vibes, this crew demonstrates the virtues of holding together and showing restraint—from a chipper “I Know, But Tell Me Again” to the noirish nightscape of “Auckland by Numbers,” from a bluesy “Skulk” to the tender “Norma’s Girl,” and from a soulful “Spring Song” (with vocals by Hays) to the simmering “Timpanogos.” If you’re looking for Gadd to cut loose and set off fireworks, look somewhere else. But if you want a reminder to never underestimate the power of the pocket in its various states, here it is.
Dan Bilawsky (JazzTimes)
