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Vincent Gardner: Three-Five

By George Kanzler
February 7, 2010
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The title here refers to both trombonist Vincent Gardner's age and the time signatures (3/4 and 5/4) of the majority of the tracks on this CD. Gardner says the "idea for the date was to try these pieces in a different meter. It's amazing that when you drop a beat and take a tune usually played in 4/4 down to 3/4 its character changes and therefore you respond differently." It's not really that straightforward; Gardner doesn't simply cast pieces in a steady 3/4 or 5/4 like

Dave Brubeck

piano
1920 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Brubeck or the early hard boppers did, but takes liberties with rhythms within the meters as well as delivering fresh, often intricate arrangements reimagining more familiar tunes. A case in point is his fugue-like recasting of

Sonny Rollins

saxophone
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Rollins' "Valse Hot," dispensing with full rhythm section during the theme and changing up rhythmic emphasis while maintaining the kernel 3/4 during solos.

Seven of the nine tracks are from a sterling sextet with brother

Derrick Gardner

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Derrick Gardner (trumpet), Mark Gross (alto and soprano sax),

Aaron Goldberg

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Aaron Goldberg (piano), Greg Williams (bass) and the inventive drummer Ali Jackson. All arrangements are by the leader and include a

Bobby Timmons

piano
1935 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere" deftly waltzed with tango accents;

Lee Morgan

trumpet
1938 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Morgan's "Morgan the Pirate" in lilting swing;

Tommy Turrentine

trumpet
b.1928

" data-original-title="" title="">Tommy Turrentine's "Long As Your Living" in a fleet, swing-feel 5/4 contrasted with

James Black

drums
1940 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">James Black's "Wee Dee" as rocking mid-tempo 5/4;

Wayne Shorter

saxophone
1933 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Shorter's "Sweet 'N' Sour" as a bright waltz and

Bobby Hutcherson

vibraphone
1941 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" kept in an oddly accented 4/4. Shorter's sinuous "Iris" is a trombone-with-rhythm track with a slow, vaguely 3/4 feel. And "I'll Never Smile Again" takes a cue from the late

Richie Powell

piano
b.1931

" data-original-title="" title="">Richie Powell's hard bop revampings of standards like "I'll Remember April" for

Clifford Brown

trumpet
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Clifford Brown and

Max Roach

drums
1925 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Max Roach, with Gross laying out and the two brothers voicing the crackling fast theme.

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Track Listing

Sweet 'n' Sour; Valse Hot; Dat Dere; Iris; Long As You're Living; Dee Wee; Little B's Poem; Morgan The Pirate; I'll Never Smile Again.

Personnel

Vincent Gardner

trombone

Derrick Gardner: trumpet; Vincent Gardner: trombone; Aaron Goldberg: piano; Mark Gross: alto sax; Ali Jackson: drums; Greg Williams: bass.

Album information

Title: Three-Five | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: SteepleChase Records

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