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The Cookers at Birdland
Birdland
New York, NY
September 17, 2016
On a warm night in New York City The Cookers took the stage. This appearance at Birdland marked the release of their latest CD, The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart (Smoke Session Records, 2016). Each member of the front line is a jazz stalwart, and leaders of their own bands.
Billy Harper
saxophoneb.1943
Eddie Henderson
trumpetb.1940
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
David Weiss
trumpetb.1964
Freddie Hubbard
trumpet1938 - 2008
Donald Harrison
saxophone, altob.1960
Craig Handy
saxophoneb.1962
George Cables
pianob.1944
Cecil McBee
bassb.1935
Billy Hart
drumsb.1940
Victor Lewis
drumsb.1950
This intergenerational group has been playing together for seven years, and they form a strong and versatile team that can stand alone, but also move together. Their sound is rooted in the 1960's with the straight ahead, forceful hard bop sounds of
Art Blakey
drums1919 - 1990
Lee Morgan
trumpet1938 - 1972
On Saturday night, the four horns stood front and center on the packed stage and one wonders how they even found space to maneuver. All dressed in dapper suits, they played without doubt or hesitation. They were earnest, they were focused, they were excited by their music. The older men in the group were indefatigable. They have withstood the test of time and sharpened their craft over years of playing. They began with the title track of the new CD, The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart, a song that Billy Harper says speaks to both his wild and peaceful soul. The introduction started out slow and steady with Harper's tenor drawing out notes, with eccentric fragments of Mingus-like interjections from the other musicians, and a strong undercurrent from the rhythm section. Then, there was a change of gear as the horns kicked into the theme together. Harper recorded it with
Max Roach
drums1925 - 2007
In "Beyond Forever," the group started to heat up the room. This was a steady, driving number. Handy on alto sax was a highlight. He was the post bop player that night, and his solo sounded almost out of control but all the more exciting for it. George Cables was breathtaking to watch in action. His early training in classical music has given him a great technique. But, he swung and was not so taken up in technical prowess to forget soul. There was a true bluesy feel to his piano that rooted the other musicians as they went on their escapades.
Later in "Croquet Ballet," the Cookers coalesced, and the cooking session took shape. This number was a memorable and lyrical waltz—the only one in the set—that Billy Harper and Lee Morgan co-wrote. Cables punctuated his accompanying chords into two per measure, his head bobbing as the piano shapeshifted into a percussive instrument. His spirited playing sanctified the night. The coda was repeated as a motif that the four horns played together, repeating it over and over but gradually dropping notes from the motif until it ended on a single note.
The finale was Hubbard's twelve bar theme "The Core." This was an up-tempo number, Eddie Henderson's fast, punchy solo worked best at this speed. Victor Lewis finally got a chance to solo on drums, the other musicians stepped back to give him space. The audience was actively listening, the ingredients blended well, and they were cooked to perfection.
Tags
The Cookers
Jazz Near Me
David Weiss
Dorothy Johnson-Laird
United States
New York
New York City
Birdland
billy harper
Art Blakey's
Eddie Henderson
Miles Davis
Freddie Hubbard
Donald Harrison
Craig Handy
George Cables
cecil mcbee
Billy Hart
Victor Lewis
Art Blakey
lee morgan
Max Roach
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