Oliver Lake Alto - as
David Murray - ts, bcl
Bruce Williams - ss, as
Hamiet Bluiett - bs
Craig Harris - tb
Lee Pearson - dm
Jamaaladeen Tacuma - b
Beginning with
Miles Davis, numerous musicians have
recognized Jimi Hndrix as a fellow sonic
explorer – but one with a mass
following beyond their wildest dreams.
He reversed the standard crossover, gaining
a smidgeon of black acceptance with Band
of Gypsys in 1969, two years after wowing
the hippies at Monterey . Is it surprising
that black avant-gardists saddened by
the relative scarcity of brothers and
sisters in their audience identify with
him? A simpler explanation might be that
a generation of improvisers now approaching
50 grew up hearing transcendence in Hendrix
and Coltrane interchangeably. David Murray,
for example. “Deep down inside
he was also a jazz musician,” Murray
says of Hendrix in the liner notes to
the World Saxophone Quartet’s Experience.
Oblivious to their implied condescension,
those who make a case for Hendrix as
a misplaced blues player or jazz musician
usually come off sounding like they’re
awarding pop star a complimentary upgrade.
On Experience, the World Saxophone
Quartet celebrates the music and spirit
of legendary Jimi Hendrix. By taking
the figurative instead of literal approach,
the saxophones not only avoid the twists
and intricacies of Hendrix’ guitar
text, but also unlock the true depth
and essence of Hendrix’ music.
The World Saxophone Quartet meets Jimi
Hendrix is a convergence of genre-shaking
musical pioneers. In taking on Hendrix’s
material the group looks back and progresses
the master’s work to the future.
For the adventure the quartet with David
Murray, Hamiet Bluiett and Oliver Lake
and newcomer Bruce Williams is sometimes
joined by trombonist Craig Harris, drummer
Gene Lake and bassist Matthew Garrison.
A funked-up “Freedom” leaps
off the disc with the flair of smokin’ New
Orleans brass band despite the fact there’s
not a trumpet in sight. On “Hey,
Joe”, the only non-Hendrix original
though the late guitarist/vocalist certain
made it his own, Murray makes his tenor
soulfully sing out the well-known lyrics.
Though presented from a different musical
point of view, the poignancy of the song
remains at its core. It’s the quartet
alone on “Foxey Lady” that
begins as totally recognizable complete
with the guys yelling the title at the
appropriate moment. It then travels to
realms beyond only to return to Hendrix’s
signature funk. Bluiett’s fat horn
provides the rhythm as it teams with
the vibration of Harris’ didgeridoo
to lay down a thick carpet on “Hear
My Train a Comin’.” His trombone
takes the lead with simply beautiful
harmonies by offered by saxists. It is
a triumphant ending that celebrates the
music Hendrix left behind.
The most ear-catching performance on Experience is
the one that strays furthest: Murray’s
almost unrecognizable transformation
of “Hey Joe” into a dirge,
driven home by his preacherly tenor exhortations
atop a choir of saxophones voiced so
spaciously you hear a phantom organ or
accordion. Ironically, the most successful
interpretation, and one that holds true
to the WSQ’s tradition of combining
intricate harmony and powerful solos,
is “Hey Joe”, the only composition
not by Hendrix. Familiar, as we all are,
with the story, the WSQ’s “Hey
Joe” seems to begin where the Hendrix
tune left off. Having done what his rage
promised in the original, here, we find
a reflective Joe somber and mournful
about his actions. As the tune develops,
with consequences becoming all to clear,
Joe is again desperate and lost. A true
marvel of story telling jazz, “Hey
Joe” merits a listen by legions
of rock fans who worship at the Hendrix
altar.
The music of Jimi Hendrix defies easy
translation. Many jazz musicians, from
Gil Evans to the contemporary trio Fly,
have approached the guitarist’s
slim canon, but few have succeeded in
capturing the spacy, sexy swagger of
his songs. Augmented by three special
guests, the World Saxophone Quartet,
does better than most.