Javon Jackson – Once Upon a Melody – Palmetto PM 2136, 54:33 ****1/2:
(Javon Jackson – tenor sax; Eric Reed – piano; Corcoran Holt – bass; Billy Drummond – drums)
The idea behind Once Upon a Melody is attractive, though not without its pitfalls: take a bunch of songs that helped shape one’s musical esthetic and give them a good working over. The attractive part is that since they exerted a certain influence on the performer’s developing approach, they will probably be thoroughly familiar; the potential pitfalls are that that very familiarity may render them uninspired and that the effort may come across as a misguided tribute session. I’m glad to say that it’s all good—everything’s fresh and exciting without the slightest hint of mustiness or mailed-in chops.
The quieter numbers score highest. “My One and Only Love,” a lush ballad that Jackson confesses he’s wanted to record for many years, here performed as an achingly beautiful piano/sax duet, weeps with heartfelt tenderness. “Like a Star,” a simply gorgeous tune, gets a relatively straightforward treatment entirely befitting its austere beauty. The Matt Dennis standard, “Will You Still Be Mine,” bubbles and bounces with an ingratiating sincerity that completely wins over the listener. Though one generation removed, leader Javon Jackson sounds very much like the gifted if somewhat neglected Billy Pierce (the jazz saxophonist and longtime Berklee instructor, not the famous baseball player); they even played together on a 1997 session, Burnin’.
This band features two of the most accomplished players on the scene today. Pianist Eric Reed, who anchored the Wynton Marsalis Septet for half a decade, spent two years with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and has recorded 17 discs as a leader, seldom does sideman gigs these days, and it’s easy to see why: His formidable chops and deep swing keep him busy with his own groups. Drummer Billy Drummond, husband to Canadian jazz pianist Renee Rosness, is likewise a very busy man. A teacher at Julliard, he is also in great demand as a sideman. The ringer is young (25) Corcoran Holt on bass, already making quite an impression on the hot New York scene, who easily hangs with the deep groove these musicians establish.
This is classic jazz of the highest order. Recommended.
TrackList: One by One, Will You Still Be Mine, Paradox, Mr. Jones, My One and Only Love, Mr. Taylor, The in Crowd, Inner Glimpse, Like a Star
– Jan P. Dennis
