1. Quietude
2. To You
3. Interloper
4. Don't Ever Leave Me
5. Three and One
6. Yours and Mine
7. Fingers
8. All My Yesterdays
9. TNA Blues
10. A Child is Born
11. Walkin' About
12. Kids are Pretty People
13. The Summary
14. Greetings and Salutations
Scott Robinson - Tenor sax, bass sax, echo
cornet, C-melody sax, F-mezzo-soprano sax,
C-flute, Eb soprano flute, thundersheet, contrabass
sarrusophone, theremin, alto clarinet, bell,
flugelhorn, French horn
Mike Le Donne - Hammond B-3 Organ (tracks
2, 5, 9, 13, 14)
Richard Wyands - Piano (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6,
7, 10=12, 14)
Hank Jones - Piano (track 8)
Pat O'Leary - Bass (tracks 1, 3-7, 10-12,
14)
Dennis Mackrel - Drums (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6,
7, 10-12, 14)
Klaus Suonsaari - Drums (tracks 2, 5, 9)
The
term "multi-instrumentalist" seems barely
adequate when you are discussing Scott Robinson.
Many multi-instrumentalists are saxophonists
who play several varieties of reed instrument,
but Scott surpasses them all in the number
and variety of instruments he tackles (see
the listings above). One can applaud Scott
for being an individualist in a world of conformity
- as well as for his abilities on such a wide
range of musical instruments. This versatility
is on full display in this album, which is
devoted entirely to compositions by Thad Jones.
Mind
you, the instruments themselves can have limitations
which affect the quality of Robinson's performance.
For instance, Scott makes the normally cumbersome
bass saxophone sound supple in Don't Ever
Leave Me and even better in TNA Blues.
Yet the bass sax hardly suits a delicate tune
like To You, one of my favourite Thad
Jones compositions - especially as played
on the album (First Time) which featured
the Duke Ellington and Count Basie orchestras
playing together for a once-in-a-lifetime
session. There, the arrangement was superlatively
warm and rich; here the performance sounds
laboured. A Child is Born is the other
tune on the CD which will be widely known,
but Scott's use of the theremin makes it sound
eerie rather than contemplative. Things improve
when he switches to the alto clarinet halfway
through the piece but this child doesn't have
an easy birth, with the theremin returning
towards the end, reminding one of a persistent
bee or an irritating hum.
Scott
even uses double-tracking so that he can duet
with himself, as in Don't Ever Leave me,
where he simultaneously plays flute and C-melody
sax. His duet between French horn and flugelhorn
for The Summary is a triumph. However,
the combination of flute and contrabass sarrusophone
in Fingers is skilful but not very
melodious. In fact some of the most successful
tracks are those where Scott simply plays
one instrument - for example, the opening
Quietude, with just the eloquent flute,
or Scott's straightforward swing on tenor
sax in Interloper. Variety is ensured
not only by the array of instruments but also
by the difference between the two keyboard
players. Richard Wyands supplies very sensitive
piano, while Mike Le Donne's Hammond organ
tends to make his five tracks more funky than
the others.
Despite
the occasional misfires, Scott treats the
listener to some intriguing sounds and he
impresses with his breadth and adventurousness.
He is unique - and his playing will often
make you smile with delight or surprise.
Tony
Augarde
CD Reviews
Arbors
Jazz ARCD 19276
