"That two artists as gifted and as compatible as Frank Morgan and George Cables could be brought together for a basic two-on-two confrontation is remarkable in itself. Still more noteworthy is the degree to which they adapted to this demanding situation.
"Their background skills differ sharply. Cables, born in Brooklyn in 1944, has ahd a relatively stable career throughout his adult life, moving from one challenging group to another: Blakey, Roach, Rollins, Hubbard, Pepper, Dexter Gordon - he has worked with them all and recorded countless albums as sideman or leader.
"Morgan, though 11 years older, born in Minneapolis, has had far fewer opportunities: the reasons, involving his traumatized life, have been gone into often enough and will not be detailed here. Suffice it that after a single album in 1955 (for GNP Crescendo) he was absent from the studios for almost a quarter century; then, after two guest sessions with L. Subramaniam, he was finally able in 1985, with the enthusiastic support of producer Richard Bock, to launch his own career as a recording and gigging leader.
"What struck me immediately on listening to the tapes of this collaboration was the intelligence with which the pair avoided any display of one-upmanship. On the contrary, Cables keeps his very considerable chops under control, whether soloing, accompanying, or interacting with Morgan. As for Frank, the figure of speech about drawing in one's horns applies almost literally here; though his bebop roots are subliminally in evidence, some of his finest moments are those in which his romantic sense is uppermost.
"'This session was like a dream come true for me,' Morgan told me. 'George and I had worked as a duo in 1980 during a summer concert series in Santa Monica, and I always carried the memory of that experience with me and hoped we could relive it on a record.'
"'That was the first time I'd ever duetted with anybody,' Cables recalls, 'and we hit it off. What Frank plays really lends itself to this intimate setting.'
"There is not more charming example of this than 'Helen's Song', which Cables named for the lady in his life. Alto and piano virtually dance their way through the simple and beguiling three-not main phrase.
"'All the Things You Are' is not close to half a century old, yet its changes are as ideal for improvisation today as they were in 1939 - or more particularly in 1945, when Dizzy Gillespie added the two figures (D-flat minor and C minor) that have become standard as an intro and coda, and are included in the present version. Cables's solo here is notable for the subtlety with which he implies rather than states the beat.
"Wayne Shorter's 'Virgo' had a special meaning for Morgan, who points out that the Rosalinda for whom he composed the following track is herself a Virgo. Here again the two men find common ground in an innately attractive theme.
"'Blues for Rosalinda' is an emotional high point for Frank, who takes the first three choruses - preaching, beseeching but never screeching the blues. A point of interest is the exchange of fours - very unusual at such a slow tempo.
"'After You've Gone' is a relic of Dixieland days; written in 1918, it has survived every era and, Frank reminded me, was played by Charlie Parker with Jazz at the Philharmonic. Cables's solo here reflects some of the bop values without any hint of overindulgence.
"'I Told You So' is a tune Cables wrote and played while working with Dexter Gordon. 'George taught it to me at the date,' says Frank. Like 'Helen's Song', this illustrates Cables's creative melodic mind and, in fact, could lend itself well to lyrics.
"The suggestion to do Ivan Lins's 'Love Dance' came from Dick Bock; this is a special showcase for Morgan's slightly blues-tinged approach to a ballad. His intense, yearning mood is again in evidence in 'Love Story', of which Frank comments: 'I remember hearing this in prison. It's a gorgeous thing, and I always wanted to play it when I was on the outside. I just recorded another version with McCoy Tyner.'
"Since this album was recorded, Cables and Morgan have been reunited; they played at the Concord Jazz Festival, along with John Heard and Donald Bailey. But both men agreed, in separate interviews, that their duo encounter call for a replay as soon as it can be arranged. Three or four may or may not be a crowd, but these nonpareil performances leave no doubt that two is company. (Leonard Feather, August 1987. From the liner notes.)
Performers: Frank Morgan (a-sx), George Cables (pi)
1. All The Things You Are
2. Virgo
3. Blues For Rosalinda
4. After You've Gone
5. Helen's Song
6. Love Dance
7. (Where Do I Begin) Love Story
8. I Told You So
9. Blue In Green
No comments:
Post a Comment