Prairie Dog

This is a great album that has been long out of print and now is back into circulation thanks to Oldies. To the Penguin Guide is a neglected masterpiece and I don't disagree. It contains very diverse themes, from the opening track "The Fakir" that incorporates the forms of Brubeck's most famous compositions mixed with eastern rhythms, to "Prairie Dog", a very well crafted Old Far West song like. There are a couple of ballads ("Angel Eyes" particularly beautiful), a waltz, and a funky song "Soulin", composed by Joe Henderson. As always in Pearson, the delicacy, elegance, and exquisite taste are constantly present. One of his great qualities was his ability to arrange music for a medium band (eight musicians)that could sound at once as a smaller and way bigger assemble. Duke Pearson was a great musician, gifted as a piano player, composer, and arranger. One of his best works is in Johnny Coles'album "Little Johnny C", a terrific Blue Note date with Joe Henderson, that to me ranks right in the top of the Blue Note catalog as well as Pearson's "Wahoo".This is a good start if you are not familiar with Mr.Pearson, a musician of incredible talent.

With Harold Vick soprano & Tenor sxophone, James Splauding flute & Alto saxophone, George Colemen tenor saxophone, Johnny Coles trumpet, Gene Bertoncini guitar, Bob Cranshaw bass, Mickey Rocker drums. This album is a pearl with very fine arrangement it sounds sometimes like Ellington.A real discovery for me, difficult to explain the reason why it's not presented in the Pinguin Jazz guide ?

Duke's creativity was too much for Blue Note to handle,so he did a couple for Atlantic at the same time but this one is off the mark for me. There is at least one out of tempo tune,some soprano sax playing and Duke plays celeste on one tune. Duke's other Atlantic misadventure HONEY BUNS is not worth waiting for, if indeed they ever do re-issue it again. It's too light touched on already low sound quality.

Duke Pearson got together a rather good group of musicians for this disc but then gave them very little to do. The music is relaxed and melodic throughout, as is Duke's own playing but his arrangements seem to be much more important than the solos and frequently get in the way of such solo work as there is. Most of the arrangements, and many of the solos are relaxed almost to the point of being comatose. Duke is one of those unusual players who seem to perform far better as a sideman than as a leader, and far better examples of his work are to be found on Johnny Coles' 'Little Johnny C' and Grant Green's 'Idle Moments'.There are four group pieces and two duos, of which more later. Of the group pieces 'Fakir' features Harold Vick on soprano, not moving far from the theme but playing with power and intent, accompanied by James Spaulding's flute fluttering about him. 'Prairie Dog' is slowish and features Duke in a fairly laid back solo but is ruined by a constantly repeated guitar riff which makes the whole thing sound like a refugee from a 1950's Hollywood cowboy movie. 'Soulin'' is a vehicle for a virile tenor solo from Harold Vick and is probably the best track on the disc. 'Little Waltz' is what it sounds to be and has solos by Gene Bertoncini, George Coleman, Johnny Coles and the leader, all of whom sounding rather diffident.Of the two duo pieces 'Hush-A-Bye' has Duke on celeste with Bob Cranshaw on bass. The whole number sounds like a little girl's musical toy as the ballerina pirouettes. In fairness the sleeve notes indicate that that may well have been the intention, but that doesn't mean it was worth the effort. Finally there is 'Angel Eyes', an attractive version of an attractive standard where Duke returns to piano. Unfortunately I also possess Duke's 'Hush', from half a dozen years earlier and which also has an almost identical version of the tune. All of which makes me wonder if Duke was not more of an arranger than a pianist.So, some pleasant melodic sounds but not much else.

Pianist/composer Duke Pearson recorded this wonderful album originally for the ATLANTIC label in 1966 with a collective personnel of Duke Pearson(piano, celeste); Johnny Coles(trumpet); James Spaulding(alto sax, flute); George Coleman(tenor sax); Harold Vick(tenor & soprano sax); Genr Bertoncini(guitar); Bob Cranshaw(bass) & Mickey Roker(drums).Highlights of six impressive tracks are a Joe Henderson blues, 'Soulin'' with fine playing from the almost forgotten tenorist, Harold Vick; 'Little Waltz' featuring tenorist George Coleman & trumpeter Johnny Coles and the beautiful 'Angel Eyes' with superb performances from Pearson and Cranshaw.Despite the short playing time of 35 minutes, the little-known 'Prairie Dog' is an album that deserves to be in every modern jazz collection.

Quizás más conocido como sideman que como líder, pero es un disco de grandes melodías y mejores arreglos.Acierto total.