Conversations
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Featuring:
Joris on bass, and Don on tenor sax and flute with: Gene Jackson on drums and Matt Wilson on drums.
Track Listing
1. Humpty Dumpty (Chick Corea) 5:42
2. Three Card Molly (Elvin Jones) 7:44
3. Goodbye Porkpie Hat (Charles Mingus) 5:59
4. Eddieish (Don Braden) 6:38
5. This is New {Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill} 5:52
6. Footprints (Wayne Shorter) 7:28
7. Stolen Time (Matt Wilson) 4:41
8. It’s You or No One (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) 5:08
9. Our Love is Here to Stay (George Gershwin) 6:21
10. We Take No Prisoners (Joris Teepe) 5:13
Check out the full CD liner note text here.
Conversations is a celebration of nearly 25 years of collaboration with Joris Teepe and Don Braden. They met in 1992 at a session in New York, and quickly recognized the compatibility of their personalities and attitudes, as well as their musical tastes and goals.
The music in Conversations truly highlights the interactive aspects of how Teepe and Braden play jazz. Framed by rich and varied tunes, strong and supple grooves, and emotional expression, the improvisations are really a manifestation of exuberant adventure for them. They create, exchange, explore and develop all kinds of ideas – melodically, harmonically, rhythmically, dynamically and more, and they really have fun while doing so. The fact that there are just two or three of them on a given tune allows that much more opportunity for clarity of communication. You’ll hear it!
What People Are Saying
“...everyone is playing with love and respect for the material, swinging hard and spinning these classic songs into jazz gold. This goes beyond mere homage into real transformation.”
— Phil Freeman, The New York City Jazz Record (page 40)
“A wonderful groover throughout.”
“Performing new arrangements of Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder’s notable hits is certainly not an easy task. However, Braden accomplishes this mission with his superb renditions, while staying true to the essence of their artistry. Earth Wind and Wonder is truly an artistic expression that will capture the hearts and minds of its listeners.”
— Jamaal Baptiste, Black Grooves (Archives of African American Music & Culture) at Indiana University
“Every cut on this recording is superbly produced and Braden’s exciting ensemble of memorable musicians do not disappoint.”
— Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs