Thursday, March 1, 2012

Steve Turre-Woody's Delight (HighNote 2012)

Steve Turre demonstrates once again why he is one of the first call trombonists in the world on his fifth recording for HighNote Records, Woody's Delight. This record is an aptly named homage to his mentor and former boss, Woody Shaw. Steve offers an intensely interesting program featuring five of the finest trumpeters in jazz today Jon Faddis, Wallace Roney, Claudio Roditi, Freddie Hendrix and Chocolate Armenteros. amazon.ca


BY BOBBY REED
Steve Turre, Woody’s Delight (HighNote)
Trombonist Steve Turre joined Woody Shaw’s quintet in 1981 and made 14 records with him before Shaw died eight years later. Turre learned a great deal during that stint, and his eight original compositions on Woody’s Delight are a heartfelt, fitting tribute to his former mentor. Turre recruited five outstanding trumpeters to help him out here: Jon Faddis, Wallace Roney, Claudio Roditi, Chocolate Armenteros and Freddie Hendrix. Turre composed “In Retrospect” specifically with Roney in mind, and the result is a gorgeous vehicle that combines a mournful, mysterious, trombone tone with fiery, fluid, muted trumpet lines. On “3 For Woody,” Turre’s soulful colorations on the low end are just as intriguing as Hendrix’s explosive, ceiling-scraping notes on the high end. “Brother Bob” (composed in remembrance of the late limousine driver Bob Colley) is an 11-minute journey with a deep groove, hairpin turns, a definite sense of swing, cascading piano work by Xavier Davis and a rich, full, memorable trombone solo that resolves exquisitely. The only non-Turre composition on the CD is Roditi’s samba jazz number “Annette’s For Sure,” which features Turre’s melodic blowing on both trombone and seashell. This sturdy album demonstrates that Turre is a gracious leader who is willing to share the spotlight in service to the song.(Downbeat)