Jazz | Pint | Quartets Live at the Village Vanguard

A little more Lovano revision has been on the cards of late - this time around it is the double album Quartets: Live at the Village Vanguard, and like Trio Fascination Vol 1, it has been a while since I had heard this album. Of Lovano’s work as a leader, I think it is this era that is my preference (the likes of Sounds of Joy, Rush Hour, Trio Fascination), over his more recent offerings (with the Trio Tapestry recordings being an exception to that rule). If you add in dates with Paul Motian and John Scofield during that time, the 90s were very fertile for Lovano. Perhaps it’s just because I’ve listened to more of his work from that period.

The Ornette Coleman influence is more present in Lovano’s playing than many of his post-Coltrane saxophonic peers – both as a composer and as an improviser  - with “Fort Worth” and “Uprising” being nice examples on the first disc. I’ve heard people say at times he’s like a watered down Dewey Redman (which seems a little harsh to me), but being a fan of Ornette I enjoy hearing that influence through Lovano’s filters. And I know people criticise his tone too, but he’s distinctly Joe Lovano and isn’t that the idea?

I prefer Lovano on tenor but the other horns (soprano and c-melody) bring some different colours to a few tracks on the first disc. On the second disc he sticks to the tenor exclusively which seems a better fit for the approach with that quartet and the more straight ahead approach. And it’s much more of a “soloist with rhythm section vibe” with Lovano as the lone horn. The contrast in approaches of the drummers is noticeable with both slotting in to their respective quartets nicely - Billy Hart changes direction more abruptly, while Lewis Nash has a smooth flow of swing. Both are a solid lock with bassists Anthony Cox (Hart) and Christian McBride (Nash). It would have been fascinating to hear the two quartets playing some of the same repertoire (a la Ornette’s In All Languages). Nerds like me enjoy that kind of thing, but it’s probably has less appeal to the general audience who want bang for their buck – two different bands playing different tunes.

From the second disc, this time around I’ve enjoyed the slower swing of “This Is All I Ask” and “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” – a welcome change of pace from the more up tempo numbers. And the closing track “Sounds of Joy” made me want to go back to the album of the same name from 1991. Of all the pieces this on the second disc, this one seems the most out of place. Maybe it’s just that the earlier trio version was my first exposure to the tune and that’s stuck in my mind. I does pick up when Lovano starts soloing, but I feel this piece would have worked better with the quartet on the first disc. But after a couple of spins it started to grow on me.

Each disc stands alone but together they offer a nice contrast, the first being a bit more open and the second more straight ahead, and I think that makes it a stronger release. And both discs showcase Lovano in fine form so it’s been an enjoyable revisiting.

This afternoon’s listening was accompanied by a pot of Zealong Fire and Ice.