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CD Review: Tyrone Brown: Song of the Sun

Label: Naxos Jazz
Personnel: Tyrone Brown-bass and bass guitar, John Blake-violin, Melissa Ortega-violin, Beth Dzwil-viola, Nina Cottman-viola, Ron Lipscomb-cello, William ‘Duke’ Wilson-percussion

From his long association with jazz icon Max Roach, the bassist and composer Tyrone Brown, has been blessed with a penchant for creating improvisational music with strings attached. This strong debut on Naxos as a composer and leader is a standout program of ten pieces, four of which are Brown’s original compositions. The 59 year old bassist, veteran of the rhythm sections of Pat Martino and saxophonist Odean Pope as well as Max, demonstrates a unique compositional approach to what is essentially an expanded string quartet (bolstered by the addition of John Blake’s violin, Duke Wilson’s tasteful percussion, and Brown on bass.) He uses the ensemble to its full potential, teasing out all the possibilities, from entire ensemble, string quartet only, trio, duet, and solo violin.

Brown himself takes an understated approach, the compositions lovely and diverse, and built upon elegant, simple lines, using the considerable strengths and sonorities of the players assembled. On the title piece Song of the Sun for example, the framework is a Caribbean groove with percussion and tumbao bass line, over which violists Nina Cottman and Beth Dzwil are featured. On Portrait of an Artist Brown uses a 4/4 walk over a triplet percussion feel, juxtaposed with a double time walk to support the solos, one by John Blake and another by the ensemble. Bittersweet Rendezvous on which Brown plays acoustic bass guitar, employs a simple, elegant funk line over which Blake solos. Matador is a subtly powerful flamenco piece, a feature for Brown’s bass work, both arco and pizzicato.

The compositions included by others remain true to Brown’s conception of strong bass lines anchoring multiple layers of rhythms by the ensemble members. Subterranean Dream by Sumi Tonooka is such a piece, featuring the virtuoso John Blake as soloist. Eh-Leigh, a composition by Umar Raheem, is built upon a bass line that recalls Wayne Shorter’s Footprints. It features a Brown-composed viola solo over ensemble. Two standards are included in the program. All The Things You Are serves as a showcase for John Blake, unaccompanied, yet managing to provide an orchestral fullness that is breathtaking. A re-harmonized Softly As In a Morning Sunrise takes the form of duets within the entire ensemble. John Blake, whose presence on this disc as a player is an obvious strength, provides one composition, a duet for himself and Tyrone Brown called The Tapdancer.

The composition that closes the program is the wonderful modern classic Peace by Eddie Green, arranged for string quartet. Its placement at the end of the program is an apt reminder of the European Classical thread that runs through this composed, yet highly improvisational offering that Tyrone Brown has here created. In its entirety Song of the Sun is a fine example of the possibilities for music that dares to cross the boundaries of genre.                                                         

  -  Richard Mayer

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