The Messenger: Live at the Original Velvet Lounge [CD]

Ernest Dawkins

Overview

Together, five friends and legends of contemporary jazz - alto and tenor saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, trumpeter Maurice Brown, trombonist Steve Berry, bassist Darius Savage, and drummer Isaiah Spencer - formed Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble and delivered an unforgettable gig at The Windy City's Velvet Lounge on Bastille Day - July 14, 2005. That rare set appears on home video in this exclusive live performance, which serves as a companion piece to the album of the same name. Subtitled "The Messenger," the performance functions as a unit, and attempts to meld numerous stylistic movements of jazz, from Chicago and beyond - everything from swing to bop to jiveto African rhythms - into an organic musical whole. "The Messenger" packs in nine individual numbers, all but one composed by Dawkins: "Intro," "Mean Ameen," "The Messenger," "Goin' Downtown Blues," "Toucouleur," "The Brood," "The Boute," "Lookin' for Ninny," and "Go Fred."

Product Details

Release Date:	07/04/2006
UPC:	0038153157050
Original Release:	2006
Source:	DELMARK
Region Code:	A
Sound:	[stereo, DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Sales rank:	56,774

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ernest Dawkins	Musician
Ernest Dawkins	Primary Artist,Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor)
Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble	Primary Artist
Darius Savage	Bass (Acoustic),Bass
Steve Berry	Trombone
Maurice Brown	Trumpet
Isaiah Spencer	Drums

Technical Credits

Steve Wagner	Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Mastering,Supervisor
Ameen A.C. Muhammad	Composer
Eric Butkus	Mastering,Engineer,Mixing
Tom Terrell	Liner Notes
Robert G. Koester	Producer,Supervisor
Ernest Dawkins	Composer

Editorial Reviews

Ernest Dawkins is in his element during concert or club performances, and has a stance within the post-bop and free bop continuum that speaks of his heritage coming through the ranks in Chicago. Blues, hard swing, and sounds from the black church and Africa all merge into a unified whole that is infectious, head-nodding, and smile-inducing. Leading his New Horizons quintet, Dawkins (alternately on alto and tenor saxophone) has the roaring heart of a lion and storytelling soul of a griot in this instrumental context. Trumpeter Maurice Brown and trombonist Steve Berry are young enough to be fearless and talented enough to provide perfect front-line foils for Dawkins, while bassist Darius Savage and drummer Isaiah Spencer are also exuberant up-and-comers who add plenty of aptitude and energy to the proceedings. Live at Fred Anderson's Velvet Lounge, Dawkins and his crew present six lengthy pieces that allow not only for the meatiest of solos, but also include some tight charts that revolve around the true heritage jazz pretexts proliferated by the AACM, sharpened by current updated popping rhythms. A wheezing harmonica and percussion intro leads to "Mean Ameen," dedicated to the mentor of Dawkins, guitarist/trumpeter Ameen Muhammad. A modal two-note bass groove sets the pace for the tart harmonic sound of the horns and hip counterpoint that makes the AACM's Great Black Music identifier great. The swinging blues shuffle title track and straight 12-bar "Goin' Downtown Blues" emphasize the Windy City's past, present, and future in soulful, purposefully off-key and vocal spoken word jive dues-paying preaching. Crisp, sharp staccato brass notes in a fast bop mode set up a fulsome Dawkins on "Toucouleur." While the perfectly titled "The Brood" presents a basic introspective mezzo-forte free float, "Lookin' for Ninny" is well formed with its groove bop, simple sleek lines, and reference to their favored "long tall and skinny" girl. Dawkins is a clearly skilled, smart, and forthright musician. His solos are full of substance, crackling with just enough sizzle and depth without pure histrionics. The band picks up on this vibe 100 percent, and plays accordingly. A valuable document of the current Chi-town scene, and very much relevant to the rest of the world, The Messenger deserves attention from the entire universe of jazz listeners. [A DVD of this performance was made available in a separate package.] ~ Michael G. Nastos