jazzmatazz

Joe Lovano

52nd Street Themes
(Blue Note)

What was New York's 52nd Street in the post-World War II years? It was the jazz Mecca, the place where bebop and swing star-studded lineups performed nightly, where bop and swing stood in stark contrast and, simultaneously, each informed the other. It was where the marquees announced the presence of Miles and Diz, Lester Young and Roy Eldridge, where Charlie "Bird" Parker and experimentation reigned and tradition held forth. It was where figures like Coleman Hawkins stood astride the two eras of music, bridging and building.

New York and jazz were synonymous in that era. And now, a remarkable new recording seeks to recapture the wealth of the street's music. Tenor Joe Lovano, himself an heir to Coleman Hawkins' stance of never refusing to grow and of being comfortable in all jazz genres, has pioneered a nonet dedicated to restoring the music of those heady times.

Lovano recognizes that 52nd Street jazz was not music of a single form. He delves into the composed works of Tadd Dameron (Tadd's "The Scene Is Clean" is crisply rendered), performs Monk's "52nd Street Theme" in a fiery (and non-Monkish) fashion, creates his own tenor solo essay on 52nd Street, one reminiscent of Coleman Hawkins' classic solo work "Picasso" as well as the musings of Sonny Rollins, and speaks in subdued eloquence on Gershwin's "Embraceable You" and Strayhorn's "Passion Flower." And on a new work, "Deal," Lovano's nonet crackles with energy and a series of brilliant solos—tenor, alto, trombone, all top notch.

The scene on 52nd Street was one of jazz in its diversity, a hot house flowering of music. And on this remarkable revisiting, 52nd Street becomes both alive and something new. What an accomplishment! — Jules Epstein

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Release Date: 2000

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last update 1 Sept 2000