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Hudson - DeJohnette Grenadier Medeski Scofield: Hudson

By Roger Farbey
June 18, 2017
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Hudson - DeJohnette Grenadier Medeski Scofield: Hudson

Rightly vaunted as a 'supergroup,' specifically in the

Tony Williams

drums
1945 - 1997

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Williams Lifetime mold, this eponymously titled band really does qualify as a super quartet, so much so that any background information on these four protagonists would seem superfluous. However it should be noted that

John Scofield

guitar
b.1951

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

John Medeski

organ, Hammond B3
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">John Medeski have teamed-up on occasion with Medeski, Martin & Wood and Scofield and

Jack DeJohnette

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Jack DeJohnette first played together forty years ago and more recently in their Trio Beyond with organist

Larry Goldings

organ, Hammond B3
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Goldings.

What is perhaps different with this album is around half the tracks are popular numbers from the greats days of the Woodstock and beyond. The remaining half comprises originals. Fittingly, the group first played a gig together at the 2014 Woodstock Jazz Festival and the vibe that they experienced then encouraged them to pursue the project, culminating in this record. The quartet's name is inspired by the beauty of the Hudson River from which Woodstock is but a few miles away, indeed virtuoso bassist

Larry Grenadier

bass, acoustic
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Grenadier is himself a resident of the Hudson Valley.

The opening, groove-laden title track certainly displays influences of Lifetime and early Seventies electric-period

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis too. The longest track at nearly eleven minutes, it offers kaleidoscopically mesmeric performances with Scofield even inserting a cheeky quote from "The Peanut Vendor." Things settle down a little with Scofield's "El Swing," the Iberian-influenced head leading into the guitarist evincing some biting, fluid soloing.

The covers of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" and Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" are given respectful treatments, the former with Scofield carving out the melody with bright-toned guitar, the latter, emotionally-charged and instantly reminiscent of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young version.

At nearly ten minutes, Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" undergoes a transformation. The melody is dispensed with early on although briefly repeated at the end. In between is a melee of spacey sound, dominated by Medeski's Hammond B-3 channelling the late

Larry Young

organ, Hammond B3
1940 - 1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Young. On "Wait Until Tomorrow" from Axis: Bold As Love, Scofield absolutely cracks Hendrix's tone and attack. DeJohnette's elegiac "Song For World Forgiveness" conjures-up the spirit of Woodstock, abounding with Scofield's glissando-rich guitar. DeJohnette provides the vocals to "Dirty Ground," the song he co-wrote with Bruce Hornsby and which appeared on his 2012 album Sound Travels. Scofield's straight ahead "Tony Then Jack" is a paean to the late

Tony Williams

drums
1945 - 1997

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Williams, its title carrying the implicit message that DeJohnette is the natural successor to Williams.

Robbie Robertson's "Up On Cripple Creek" is given a laid-back, homespun feel, Scofield's guitar nonchalantly tearing-up the melody. The final number, replete with wooden flutes, tom-tom and chanting vocals, is DeJohnette's "Great Spirit Peace Chant" recalling the saxophonist Jim Pepper's Native American-influenced music. Indeed, DeJohnette can be seen performing Pepper's famous "Witchitai-To" on YouTube.

This immediately accessible album is undoubtedly going to make waves and make jazz a lot of friends even outside of the jazz fraternity. The quartet combines unique skills and powers of invention to create over seventy minutes of fascinating interpretations and solid originals. As a group, they sound like they've been playing together forever and the music just seems to flow effortlessly, just like the Hudson.

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Track Listing

Hudson; El Swing; Lay Lady Lay; Woodstock; A Hard Rain��s A-Gonna Fall; Wait Until Tomorrow; Song For World Forgiveness; Dirty Ground; Tony Then Jack; Up On Cripple Creek; Great Spirit Peace Chant.

Personnel

Hudson

John Scofield: guitar, wooden flute; John Medeski: piano, rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, wooden flute, vocals; Larry Grenadier: acoustic bass, vocals; Jack DeJohnette: drums, tom-tom, wooden flute, vocals.

Album information

Title: Hudson | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Mot��ma Music

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