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Elvin Jones: Revival: Live At Pookie’s Pub

By Chris May
November 4, 2022
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Elvin Jones: Revival: Live At Pookie’s Pub

A welcome addition to Elvin Jones' catalogue, the previously unissued 2 x CD / 4 x LP Revival: Live At Pookie's Pub was recorded in New York in July 1967. The gig was just two weeks after the passing of

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane, with whom Jones had played from 1960 to 1966. Jones' quartet includes the gritty but underrated tenor saxophonist

Joe Farrell

saxophone
1937 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Farrell, who had the unenviable job of standing in Coltrane's shadow. But he rises to the occasion magnificently. Jones himself is on fire, his default position.

The tapes were unearthed and co-produced for release by jazz archaeologist

Zev Feldman

producer

" data-original-title="" title="">Zev Feldman, who has previously been responsible for such treasures as

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler's 4 x CD / 5 x LP Revelations: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght Recordings (Elemental, 2022) and

Lee Morgan

trumpet
1938 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Morgan's 8 x CD / 12 x LP The Complete Live At The Lighthouse (Blue Note, 2021). As with all Zeldman's projects, Revival comes with optimised sound and an extensive booklet. This one includes interviews and statements by drummers

Alvin Queen

drums
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Alvin Queen and

Michael Shrieve

drums
b.1949

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Shrieve, pianist

Richie Beirach

piano
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Richie Beirach and Jones alumni, saxophonists

Pat LaBarbera

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat LaBarbera and

Dave Liebman

saxophone
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Liebman and bassist

Gene Perla

bass
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Gene Perla.

Although he recorded six albums with Jones, Farrell, who passed prematurely in 1986, is probably best remembered as a member of

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea's

Return to Forever

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Return to Forever and for his association with

Creed Taylor

producer
1929 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Creed Taylor's CTI label. His tenor is boisterous throughout the mostly high octane Revival, and he also turns in two lovely flute solos on the Great American Songbook covers, "My Funny Valentine" and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise," (which is given an altogether gentler treatment than it received from Coltrane and Jones on Coltrane's classic quartet's 1962 Impulse! album Live At The Village Vanguard).

The lineup is completed by pianist

Billy Greene

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Greene and bassist

Wilbur Little

bass, acoustic
b.1928

" data-original-title="" title="">Wilbur Little, both solid but unremarkable players.

Larry Young

organ, Hammond B3
1940 - 1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Young, the Hammond organist who in the 1960s most memorably absorbed Coltrane's harmonic innovations, takes over the piano stool for a relatively out treatment of

Jimmy Heath

saxophone, tenor
1926 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy."

Jones is sometimes likened to

Art Blakey

drums
1919 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Blakey. Certainly, both musicians could drive a band like few others, but Jones was a more shamanistic player than Blakey. A closer comparison might be with

Ginger Baker

drums
1939 - 2019

" data-original-title="" title="">Ginger Baker, who like Jones could generate forward motion without relentlessly emphasising the beat, but by orbiting it, too. Unlike Baker, however, Jones was blessed with an amiable nature, however many sails to the wind he might be (see the YouTube clip below).

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Track Listing

Keiko's Birthday March; Gingerbread Boy; 13 Avenue B; My Funny Valentine; M.E..; On the Trail; Softly As In A Morning Sunrise; Raunchy Rita; Oleo.

Personnel

Elvin Jones

drums

Joe Farrell

saxophone

Billy Greene

piano

Wilbur Little

bass, acoustic

Larry Young

organ, Hammond B3

Additional Instrumentation

Joe Farrell: tenor saxophone (1—3, 5, 6, 8, 9), flute (4, 7); Larry Young: piano (2); Billy Greene: piano (1, 3-9).

Album information

Title: Revival: Live At Pookie’s Pub | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

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