Friday 6 November 2009

Melvin Rhyne Quartet ''Classmasters''

Melvin Rhyne Quartet

''Classmasters''
( Criss Cross Jazz Records, 1999 )
Catalog # 1183


Tracklisting:
Rhyne, Rhythm And Song (Melvin Rhyne)
Watch What Happens (Michel Legrand)
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (Michel Legrand)
Stanley's Shuffle (Stanley Turrentine)
Don't Explain (Billy Holiday / Arthur Herzog)
Well You Needn't (Thelonious Monk)
Oriental Flower (McCoy Tyner)
Search For Peace (McCoy Tyner)
Like Sonny (John Coltrane)
What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter)

Personnel:
Melvin Rhyne (Org)
Eric Alexander (Ts)
Peter Bernstein (G)
Kenny Washington (D)
Daniel G. Sadownick (Perc)

Notes:
Melvin Rhyne's latest offering, his sixth for Criss Cross Jazz, finds him once again in the company of guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Kenny Washington with tenor saxophone sensation Eric Alexander on hand.
Serving up a savory and filling plate of grooves, Rhyne and crew move freely between the blues and bebop, with a few choice originals thrown in for good measure.
Total Time: 73:08
Recorded December 19, 1999 in Brooklyn, NY, USA by Max Bolleman

Review:
Organist Melvin Rhyne's sixth Criss Cross release, Classmasters, finds him once again in the hard swinging company of guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Eric Alexander, and drummer Kenny Washington. These musicians breeze through two cuts a piece by Michel Legrand and Mccoy Tyner, along with the compositions of Coltrane, Monk, Stanley Turrentine, Billie Holiday, and Cole Porter. "The Rhyne Original Rhyne, Rhythm and Song" rounds out this modern blues and bebop set.
By Al Campbell (AMG)

By Pier

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

pw

myfavouritesound

Anonymous said...

Many, many thanks for posting these two Melvin Rhyne albums!

'Classmasters' and 'Front & Center'

I couldn't image that both albums would show up after my request. And in no time at all!

Both albums are great jazz organ albums, but still, if I had to pick one over the other, I would go for 'Front & Center'. It has a bit more 'flow' (yes, I know, it's a really un-tangible quality, but that's the best word I have to describe the difference).

Another difference is that 'Front & Center' has a better sound reproduction of those deep all-important organ left hand bass lines. Mel Rhyne has, by the way, a very solid left hand with impeccable timing. Not as flashy as the No. 1 of jazz organ bass lines: Richard 'Groove' Holmes, but Rhyne's bass lines are up there with the rest of the top-tier players.

In general, Rhyne is very skilled in the difficult art of not over-playing the mighty organ. The Hammond B-3/C-3/A-100 and their clonewheels, like the New B-3, are all instruments that may tempt the player to go for full tilt a tad too much (e.g. the undisputed No. 1 jazz organ player today, Joey DeFrancesco, has sometimes a tendency doing this), but Melvin Rhyne always keeps this fine balance in not over-playing, and thats a good thing!

Many thanks again,
/Jazz Organ Fan

MFS Equipe ♪ said...

Ever welcome dear JOF!
Thanks for the coomment!

Peace

;-)

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