Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ben Riley: Grown Folks Music

Ben Riley: Grown Folks Music

By Raul d'Gama Rose
May 27, 2012
View read count

Ben Riley is best-described as a drummer who has always been the epitome of great taste, elegance and almost certainly possessed of a higher musical intelligence. There is no better recommendation for this than the fact that

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk hired him as a drummer, but if further proof were requested , then all that needs doing would be to spin Grown Folks Music, this eloquently bluesy albeit seemingly short session with a rising star on the saxophone,

Wayne Escoffery

saxophone, tenor
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Escoffery. The album also pays a not-so-oblique tribute to Riley's old boss, Monk, not just because Riley has included two Monk compositions and a standard the great pianist used to play, but for all the right reasons the drummer and Escoffery conjure—despite the absence of a pianist—not just the spirit, but also the late pianist's spectacularly rarified language. This, of course, has everything to do with the pairing of the drummer and the saxophonist.

Ben Riley is one of the great musicians among the drummers of today. This, in addition to the fact that he has one of the keenest senses of shade and hue, which also makes him a skilled percussion colorist. He can play phrases on his skins just as well as a pianist, bassist or any other musician, and this he does throughout the session. Many times his phrases and sentences sound as if they were taken out of a Monk songbook. This may not be so accidental, especially as there are Monk songs here. However, it is also true that many of the phrases— although completely fresh and new—sound as though they would fit right into the vocabulary of a Monk performance. Moreover, the presence of the fat and breathy bellow of Escoffery's earthy tenor is also reminiscent of the broad and glorious roar of

Charlie Rouse

saxophone, tenor
1924 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Rouse. In all fairness, though, Escoffery's is a singular voice. He may have listened to Rouse, and the guiding hand of other masters of the instrument such as

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane and

Sonny Rollins

saxophone
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Rollins may be lurking in the shadows, but Escoffery is very much his own man. His ideas are his and his alone, executed with great depth of and passionate character. He often begins phrases inside out or from the end, going backwards, and this makes for a sense of surprise that is always delightful, and makes the combination of saxophonist and drummer quite memorable. But there is more...

The album has no pianist, but the rhythmic honors that would have been shared by the keyboard are split between two fascinating guitarists. Both Freddy Bryant and

Avi Rothbard

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Avi Rothbard are spectacular, to say the least. They bring newness to the repertoire that complements the elegance of the music and suggests that the absence of the piano is no big deal at all. And the deep growl of

Ray Drummond

bass
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Drummond's bass is the glue that holds the rhythm section together on this all-too-unforgettable set.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Friday the 13th; Laura; Teo; Without a Song; A Weaver of Dreams; Lulu��s Back in Town; If Ever I Would Leave Without You.

Personnel

Ben Riley

drums

Ben Riley: drums; Wayne Escoffery: tenor saxophone; Avi Rothbard: guitar (1, 4, 5, 7); Freddie Bryant: guitar (2, 3, 6); Ray Drummond: bass.

Album information

Title: Grown Folks Music | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

The State of Jazz, Coltrane Clones, ...
< Previous

The Rolling Stones' Some Girls in So...
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.