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Rich Halley 3: The Literature
ByRich Halley
saxophone, tenorIt's a pretty broad set of compositions, too, not just expected contributors Miles, Mingus and Monk, but Ornette and

Sun Ra
piano1914 - 1993

Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
The country tunes are worth visiting first if only because Halley writes that "while we used different approaches to these tunes, we tried to retain the feeling that makes them speak authentically."
"Motherless Children" is actually miscredited to Alvin Pleasant "A.P." Carter, patriarch of The Carter Family. While The Carter Family did record the song in 1929, it was written and released two years earlier by bluesman

Blind Willie Johnson
guitar, slide1902 - 1947
Clyde Reed
bassCarson Halley
drums
Louis Prima
trumpet and vocals1910 - 1978
Rodgers' "High Powered Mama" also opens with Reed delineating the main melody on bass before Rich Halley joins in on sax, playing it slow like an old torch song. In his sleeve notes, Rich Halley mentions the collaborations between Rodgers and Louis Armstrong in the 1920s, and the opening arrangement here isn't too far off from what a sax trio from that era might have done with this song. Of course, a man who cites Sun Ra and

Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto1930 - 2015
"Someday You'll Call My Name"which Hank Williams made a hit for composers Jean Branch and Eddie Hillis opened with Halley's tenor taking the vocal part, Reed and Carson Halley swinging gently behind him for two verses. They vamp off the theme after that, before wrapping it up.
Ellington's "Mood Indigo" is the next most traditional song on this set, and Halley and group tackle it similarly to the way they approached the country-western material, a restrained, respectful opening that builds on the familiar theme. At six-and-a-half minutes, this is the second longest track here, and yet Halley never gets too far off the beaten path, despite a lengthy lead. His deep, throaty playing recalls that of

Paul Gonsalves
saxophone, tenor1920 - 1974
A cover of

Dizzy Gillespie
trumpet1917 - 1993
The two

Thelonious Monk
piano1917 - 1982
For his celebration of

Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991

Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic1922 - 1979
It's a fun recording overall, full of humor and performed with high energy and sharp playing. ">
Track Listing
Little Willie Leaps; Misterioso; Chano Pozo; Broad Way Blues; High Powered Mama; Mood Indigo; Brilliant Corners; Motherless Child; Pussy Cat Dues; Kingdom Of Not; Someday You'll Call My Name; Law Years.
Personnel
Rich Halley
saxophone, tenorRich Halley: tenor saxophone, clapping; Clyde Reed: bass; Carson Halley: drums, clapping.
Album information
Title: The Literature | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Pine Eagle Records
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