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Lewis Porter Quintet plus Dave Liebman

Second Voyage

Harvie S.: bass Marcus Baylor: drums Ken Wessel: guitar Lewis Porter: piano Dan Faulk: Sax Dave Liebman: Sax

$20.00 USD    Code: AS120

Although this is a "primus opus," it is not the typical debut album of a young emerging musician. Actually it is the project of a prominent world-class jazz expert, a musicologist and teacher from whom we have all learned something. Lewis Porter, a Professor at Rutgers University of Newark and also the founder and director of the Master's in Jazz History and Research, has been in fact an important reference point over the past two decades for scholars and critics. Among his works there are two books on Lester Young, an important volume on the history of jazz ("Jazz: from its origins to the present"), a collection of rare historical articles and a ground-breaking (and award-winning) book on John Coltrane, a milestone of jazz historiography. Today, after years of lecturing and also playing together with artists such as Tom Varner, Jimmy Lyons, Don Friedman, Herb Pomeroy, Gerry Hemingway, Brad Jones, Gregg Bendian and Alan Dawson, Dr. Porter faces the challenge of presenting himself as a composer, a leader and a performer. Many will be surprised to hear him. The choice of musicians can certify that this project is of first class quality: from the young Marcus Baylor who has already worked with Cassandra Wilson and Kenny Garrett, to the more famous Dave Liebman who is considered to be one of the most interesting and influential personalities of the entire modern jazz scene. Between these two we find a guitarist who has been playing with Ornette Coleman for the past decade, a sax player who has been with Jay Jay Johnson, and the world class double-bass player Harvie S. Together with these musicians Porter has produced an album where his academic knowledge was the basis for composing. The songs were conceived with a wide variety of forms and colours that reveal the inspiration that flows within and that expresses itself with a method of composition that belongs to the entire history of jazz (and not only). There are songs that go from original arrangements of standards and ballads (Central Park West and Night and Day) to poli-thematical blues in New Orleans jazz style (Three Blues), from the evergreen style of writing (Last April) to songs with the Latin touch (Second Voyage) and to group improvisation (Again and Again), from the SOLOIST'S crepuscular speech (Karen's Meditation) to the samba (Lester Young Samba) and to the encounter of Irish and Indian music elements (Irish Mantra), all the way to the jazz-rock freedom dedicated to Messiaen (Olivier). Second Voyage was chosen for the title of the CD; the second voyage refers to Porter's second marriage (two months after this CD was recorded), and also a new career recording CDs and not only writing books. The title is also a reference to Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," but it is not based on that tune. Three Blues is a blues with three themes--a different theme is played before each solo, then all three themes are played together at the end. (Liebman's on soprano here. He plays tenor on Olivier.) Last April is Porter's version of I'll Remember April. A significant WORK, a prelude to further developments that we hope will not Take Dr. Porter too much from his scholarship in which he is a true authority. Maurizio Franco March 2002 (translation: D. Loringett)

CD Tracks
	01. Second Voyage (Lewis Porter)
	02. Three Blues (Lewis Porter)
	03. Night and Day (Cole Porter)
	04. Central Park West (John Coltrane)
	05. Lester Young Samba (Lewis Porter)
	06. Irish Mantra (Lewis Porter)
	07. Olivier (Lewis Porter)
	08. Last April (Lewis Porter)
	09. Karens Meditation (Lewis Porter)
	10. Again and Again (Lewis Porter)
Label:
Producer:	Lewis Porter, Andy LaVerne, Altrisuoni
Executive Producer:	Altrisuoni
Recorded at:	Current Sounds, Manhattan NYC, June 22, 2000
Sound Engineer:	Bob Ward
Digital Mastering:	Bob Ward
Cover Art:	Corrado Bernasconi
Graphic Design:	Corrado Bernasconi
Photo:	Andy LaVerne, Steve Galleher
Financial Support:	Rutgers University Research Council

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