Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bernie Worrell: Elevation: The Upper Air

Bernie Worrell: Elevation: The Upper Air

By Mark Corroto
March 23, 2014
View read count

Bernie Worrell: Elevation: The Upper Air

Alert

Manfred Eicher

" data-original-title="" title="">Manfred Eicher, somebody has stolen one of his pianists! Certainly in a blindfold test, most listeners would mistake Elevation: The Upper Air for a release by ECM Records, probably identifying the pianist as

Marcin Wasilewski

piano
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Marcin Wasilewski or

Tord Gustavsen

piano
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Tord Gustavsen before ever guessing it was by one of the founders of Parliament/Funkadelic,

Bernie Worrell

keyboards
1944 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Bernie Worrell.

But there it is. Gasp. A solo acoustic piano outing by the keyboardist that fueled the music of George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and many, many other bands. The classically trained, Juilliard and New England Conservatory of Music educated pianist has long been a collaborator with bassist

Bill Laswell

bass
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Laswell, performing in the projects Method Of Defiance, Praxis, and Material.

Produced by Laswell, the music displays a ruminative, and often lost-in- thought meditative sound. Worrell draws from touchstones of his musical past and also writes three penetrating and sensitive pieces. He opens with

Joe Zawinul

keyboards
1932 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Zawinul's "In A Silent Way" that sounds closer to the original heard on Zawinul (Atlantic, 1971) than it does under

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' treatment. His approach here is quite sentimental, but more affectionate than nostalgic.

He runs through a touching version of

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus' "Good Bye Pork Pie Hat" that conjures the

Lester Young

saxophone
1909 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Lester Young that composer had in mind, extrapolating a classical feel to his improvisation.

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's "Alabama" is played with a thundering left hand (the hand of God?) and the compassion of a nation. Then there is the one-hit wonder soul song "Ooh Child" by The Five Stairsteps that is instantly recognizable, yet slowed to a doleful crawl. In Worrell's hands the music becomes a sacred ritual. Closing with

Bob Marley

guitar
1945 - 1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," he presents the song with childlike innocence and a knowing faithfulness of hope.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

In a Silent Way; I��d Rather Be With You; Alabama; Good Bye Pork Pie Hat; Light On Water; Ooh Child; Samba Pa Ti; Realm of Sight; I Wanna Go Outside In the Rain; Wings; Redemption Song.

Personnel

Bernie Worrell

keyboards

Bernie Worrell: piano.

Album information

Title: Elevation: The Upper Air | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: M.o.d. Technologies

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Erie Avenue
< Previous

Open Rein
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.