(Terence Blanchard – trumpet; Nnenna Freelon – vocals; Benny Green – piano and musical director; James Moody – tenor sax, flute, vocal (#3); Derrick Hodge – bass; Kendrick Scott – drums)
If you can get past the misnomer of this band being truly an all-star representation of the first 50 years of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s existence and not just Terence Blanchard’s bassist and drummer backing up James Moody, Benny Green, and vocalist Nnenna Freelon, then you can find the enjoyable moments of a nice jazz set here. Calling this group the 50th Anniversary “All-Stars” is not appropriate. It is a pale imitation of a true all-star aggregation. Festival director Tim Jackson was faced with the daunting task of putting together a mix of the older veterans (Moody) with more mid level MJF historians (Green, Blanchard, and Freelon), along with MJF youngsters, Hodge and Scott. Not exactly the Giants of Jazz as assembled by Art Blakey in 1972 (and reviewed here) but as most all of the Giants are deceased, Jackson put together a tribute band that tried to mix both the new and old. They probably should not have released this CD with such hype. It leaves too much of a void and opens up too many misplaced expectations for a group with that name, as there are many living active musicians who could have filled this moniker much better.
Getting to the music, there is some inspiring playing, especially by Blanchard and Moody. Terence is off on a tear on the opening, Bop, while Moody shows he still has his chops. Vocalist Freelon then puts lyrics to Gerald Wilson’s Romance (Winter Love), from Gerald’s Suite for Monterey. Moody and Freelon share the stage (and banter/flirt) on Just Squeeze Me.
Milt Jackson’s Monterey Mist, written to honor the Modern Jazz Quartet’s many appearances at the Festival, is another vehicle for Moody to blow. Nneena is then given center stage again for a duet with Benny Green on Misty, which coincidentally gained fame from the Festival’s most famous Director, Clint Eastwood’s 1971 movie, Play Misty For Me.
Benny’s Tune and Time After Time close out the set. Terence Blanchard is featured on both and shows that as Artist in Residence for the 50th MJF, that he has inherited the mantle of many of the trumpet greats who graced the Jimmy Lyons stage. Blanchard’s combination of power and bravado is impressive. His deeply moving, Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), was a highlight of Saturday night’s line-up and is available on Blanchard’s own CD bearing the same title.
TrackList: Be-Bop, Intro to Romance, Romance (Winter Love), Intro to Just Squeeze Me, Just Squeeze Me, Monterey Mist, Misty, Benny’s Tune, Band Introductions, Time After Time
– Jeff Krow