(Booker Ervin, tenor sax; Jaki Byard, piano; Richard Davis, bass; Alan Dawson, drums)
Booker Ervin was an artist who bridged the gap in post-bop 1960s between straight ahead hard bop and the avantgarde movement that spawned mid-decade. He could play in a soulful Texas tradition yet could creep into edgy material. He seemed to keep his hard bop for his Blue Note sessions and bring his avant leanings to sessions with pianist Jaki Byard for Prestige. He made a series of “Book” sessions for Prestige with titles like Freedom, Space, Song, and Blues Book. The common denominator for all the “Book” sessions was that they paired Booker with bassist Richard Davis and drummer Alan Dawson. Ervin’s career was on the short side as he died of cancer in mid-1970, just shy of his 40th birthday. But thankfully, he left a large amount of recordings for us to remember him by.
The 2007 re-release of Freedom Book finds Ervin tackling four of his own compositions, as well as Randy Weston’s Cry Me Not. In addition, the bonus track- an abbreviated version of the standard, Stella by Starlight, is included. Originally recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s famous studio, Van Gelder remastered all the tracks this year.
A Lunar Tune opens the session and immediately one feels the passion of Ervin’s tenor playing. Even in the more straight ahead hard bop of his Blue Note sessions, the passionate playing was a constant whenever Booker picked up the horn. The closest comparison I can make is to Jackie McLean, who brought the same passion to his alto, even on ballad readings. Booker pours all of his energy into his playing, and on A Lunar Tune, it is in evidence. Alan Dawson keeps pace with Ervin’s frenetic playing and Jaki Byard comps sympathetically. Cry Me Not finds Booker with a much slower ballad and he milks his solos with plaintive emotion. It has a late night smoke-filled room ambience and you could imagine him playing this tune on a second set in a small club. Van Gelder has mixed Davis more upfront in the mix and he provides sympathetic accompaniment.
Grant’s Stand is more of a honking Texas tenor tune, strictly blues with just a little edge. A trumpet addition would have been welcome here as Ervin is center stage and the tune begs for a bit of variation. But Ervin is not to be denied and he pours his heart out throughout the first half of the eight minute track before Byard and Davis tone down the intensity. Then Ervin is back to blow out the final choruses. A Day to Mourn follows and it is a mournful rendition written after the JFK assassination. Its beauty is undeniable and it is a highlight of the 12/3/63 session, so its addition must have been a last minute addition to the song list as Kennedy had just died the previous month.
Al’s In is as avant as this session provided and it has a Dolphy vibe. All the musicians have statements being made, many made over each other. Byard keeps pace with Booker’s higher register intensity. It helps give rise to the title of this CD. The bonus track, Stella by Starlight eases the mood and ends the CD with a much lighter touch.
Van Gelder has done his usual remastering magic and the recording has a fresh bright sheen – the more intense moments of the recording do not benefit from a remaster as much as the ballad readings. For fans of the short-lived but prolific Ervin, this remastered CD would make a nice addition to their collection of this passionate tenor player.
TrackList: A Lunar Tune, Cry Me Not, Grant’s Stand, A Day to Mourn, Al’s In, Stella by Starlight.
– Jeff Krow
