Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Grachan Moncur III: Evolution

Grachan Moncur III: Evolution

By Greg Simmons
April 23, 2017
View read count

One of the more unusual records in Music Matters series of Blue Note Records reissues is

Grachan Moncur III

trombone
1937 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Grachan Moncur III's avant-garde classic Evolution, released here on a 45 rpm double LP. The Music Matters Blue Notes are among the highest quality jazz vinyl available, with fanatical attention to sound, packaging, and pressing quality, here doing serious justice to true milestone performance.

Recorded on November of 1963, the date features the horns of

Jackie McLean

saxophone, alto
1932 - 2006

" data-original-title="" title="">Jackie McLean and

Lee Morgan

trumpet
1938 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Morgan, as well as

Bobby Hutcherson

vibraphone
1941 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Hutcherson on vibes who, in addition to solo contributions, provides most of the background comping that might ordinarily be provided by a pianist. This is one of the most far out offerings from Blue Note's classic period and is definitely not the hard bop more typically heard from the label in the early sixties.

When Moncur got the green light to cut his first album as a leader he had already provided compositions for Jackie McLean's One Step Beyond and had developed a relationship with Morgan, who admired his writing. What they turned in ventured from subtle free forms to strongly structured up-tempo bounces and as a whole it's perfection.

The album starts with "Air Raid," constructed with a variety of meters. Moncur's trombone playing is dynamic and precise. The music is out, but his playing is disciplined. Morgan's solo is perhaps the most un-Lee Morgan like thing he'd played to that point. For a trumpet player who's style was so distinctive it's a little disconcerting to hear something so stylistically uncharacteristic. Morgan himself felt that this date was among his finest recorded performances.

The title track is almost a dirge, with a very simple two-note foundation supported by

Bob Cranshaw

bass
1932 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Cranshaw's bowed bass giving the soloists plenty of space to wander. And they do wander: McKlean, Morgan and Moncur take their turns, each weaving around the minimalist footer, but it's Hutcherson who captures the improvisational potential of the two-note structure with a spacey, eerily atmospheric, and slightly dissonant turn.

Side two (actually three and four on this two-LP pressing) picks up both the tempo and the compositional structure significantly, though without diluting the record's tip-of-the-spear modernism. "The Coaster" jams with Spanish blue overtones, Morgan's solo loosely echoing Sketches of Spain, although at a much faster pace.

But the true compositional heart of Evolution is the closer, "Monk In Wonderland," with an opening that could have been composed for Pee-Wee's Playhouse: an abstract children's theme that quickly gives way to a mixed tempo chord progression over which everyone takes a turn. It's an absolutely brilliant bit of music that brings out the best in the soloists. McLean in particular stays in closest contact with the comps, but stretches and pulls the chord structure in unexpected directions. Special mention should also go out to

Tony Williams

drums
1945 - 1997

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Williams who carries a tricky rhythm almost entirely on the hi-hat and snare.

Evolution is a record of contrasts: It's both free and structured; it uses simple motifs to support complex ideas; and it's a portfolio of truly forward music that's delivered with the very traditional value of refined artistry. It's dissonant without ever becoming cacophonous. It must have seemed especially adventurous in 1963, but fifty-four years later it still sounds fresh and relevant. It's a classic in any format, but it's a special treat to hear it on Music Matters' perfectionist, all analog reissue. It's music that's unquestionably worth seeking out.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Air Raid; Evolution; The Coaster; Monk In Wonderland.

Personnel

Grachan Moncur III

trombone

Grachan Concur III: trombone; Lee Morgan: trumpet; Jackie McLean: alto saxophone; Bobby Hutcherson: vibraphone; Bob Cranshaw: bass; Tony Williams: drums.

Album information

Title: Evolution | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Music Matters

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Imagination
< Previous

On A Monday Evening
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.