Gregory Tardy & Bill Frisell – More Than Enough – Newvelle Records NVO021 – audiophile 180 gm Vinyl – ****
(Gregory Tardy – saxophones, clarinet; Bill Frisell – acoustic and electric guitars)
Greg Tardy has had a circuitous journey leading to his recording for Newvelle Records in a duo with Bill Frisell. (The match with Frisell is not unexpected, as the two have worked together over the years in larger groups, playing primarily in more free jazz settings.) Greg came up in the early 90s with a group of musicians referred to as the “young lions.” He cut his teeth with the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, co-led at the time by trumpeter, Nicholas Payton. Thought to be a devotee of Coltrane, Tardy branched off to exploring new avenues with Andrew Hill and Dave Douglas. Later he left the jazz scene to devote his life to Christ with a ministry in a large congregation in New York City.
More recently Greg has taken a position as a music professor at the University of Tennessee. It was a mutually satisfying decision for Newvelle Records, with their four year history of letting its artists choose a musical path to explore their visions, with little to no restrictions. A common feature of most Newvelle issues is a search for beauty, reflection, and to make the lifelong hopes of their artists to explore themes happen, not normally commercially permitted by bottom line recording labels. Thus, we have Tardy again working with Bill Frisell, recording an eclectic mix of two Monk tunes; both Ellington and Strayhorn; as well as his and Frisell’s compositions. Even Stephen Foster’s iconic classic “Hard Times” is covered. Uniting all these influences is a search for beauty, which fits in exactly with Newvelle’s strengths.
Recorded, as always with impeccable acoustics, by Marc Urselli, in mid June, 2018, onto a gorgeous clear vinyl, Greg and Bill let the music flow with a gentle and sure assurance. Their blend is exquisite, whether in call and response, or with the use of special guitar effects. It is an intuitive pairing of artists that listen and respond, letting the mood develop creatively.
Tardy is usually upfront, clearly taking lead, with Frisell reacting and supporting. On Ellington’s “Single Petal of a Rose” the notes linger and float, and as the tones decay, they then respond, sometimes collectively. There is a strong influence of the blues throughout the album, found on the two Monk tunes as well as on Frisell’s “Monica Jane,” and “Worried Woman.” Gospel and spiritual themes are handled with gorgeous, moving versions of Foster’s “Hard Times,” and Whitfield’s minstrel driven title tune, “More Than Enough.”
Frisell provides a simple repetitive backing for Greg “to paint” with his clarinet on “Baby Cry.”
Tardy shows his mastery blending passion with sumptuous elegiac beauty throughout this duo recording. It provides needed restorative relief in our tumultuous times.
Tracklist:
Side A:
Single Petal of a Rose
Worried Woman
Dreamer (A Song for Dad)
Baby Cry
More Than Enough
Side B:
Monk’s Mood
JL’s Wish
Monica Jane
Blood Count
Ask Me Now
Hard Times
—Jeff Krow
