Freddie Redd composed the music for
Jack Gelber's
The Connection, a gritty play about musician junkies.
Gelber had originally thought that the play would feature real musicians -- who would also double as actors in minor roles -- improvising on blues and jazz standards in the tradition of
Charlie Parker, but
Redd convinced him to use an original score. The two weaved
Redd's original compositions into the score, making it an integral part of the play, but the music holds up superbly on its own. Using the direction "in the tradition of
Charlie Parker" as a starting point, the pianist wrote seven pieces of straight-ahead bop, wide open for improvisations, and then assembled a sterling quartet featuring himself, alto saxophonist
Jackie McLean, bassist
Michael Mattos, and drummer
Larry Ritchie. The end result was a set of dynamic straight-ahead bop. While both
Redd and
McLean show signs of their influences -- the pianist blends
Monk and
Powell, while the saxophonist has built off of
Bird's twisting lines -- they have developed their own voices, which gives the driving, bluesy bop on
Music From the Connection an edge.
McLean's full, robust tone often dominates, but he never overshadows
Redd's complex, intricate playing, and both musicians, as well as
Mattos and
Ritchie, effortlessly keep up with the changes from hard-hitting, up-tempo bop numbers to lyrical, reflective ballads. Musically,
Music From the Connection might not offer anything unexpected, but whenever straight-ahead bop is done this well, it should be celebrated. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
