LP REVIEW: from the suits, with compliments, Timeless All Stars – It’s Timeless, Recorded Live At The Keystone Korner (1982)
BAYSTATE, RJL-8032, JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE, 1982
ARTIST
Every one of these guys staked his own claim in the jazz world. Top musicians. Curtis Fuller and Bobby Hutcherson lead several Blue Note sessions. Buster Willams played on many albums, some as a leader, in fact I bought one of his albums many years ago – in 2004 he made an excellent record, only out on hybrid SA-CD, called Griot Liberté. Harold Land did several albums on Pacific Jazz and Contemporary. Billy Higgins and Cedar Walton worked together on many gigs. As a band they made 5 albums together, mostly recordings of live sessions.
But … yes, there is a but. This type of band and album is typically made on the instigation of the record label (“the suits”). I mean, which self-respecting artists would call themselves “Timeless All Stars” and then come up with the lame album title “It’s Timeless” 🙂 sigh, Obviously something that was dreamt up in a late Friday afternoon corporate marketing meeting.
That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s a great opportunity for the artists to make some money and tour the world and the label benefits from their ‘talent’, especially if they were in between album recordings anyway. Artistically the results are often a mixed bag. If this is the case here we’ll explore it in the MUSIC Section below.
LABEL
Baystate was a Japanese sub-label from the RVC Corporation, mainly focusing on Jazz. They issued about 60 records. RVC was a Japanese record company formed in 1975 by RCA and Victor Musical Industries, Inc. Japan. In 1987 the company was acquired by BMG Japan. The label on the LP is a simple affair as well, so not much more to report here I’m afraid 🙂
MUSIC
If someone said to you, “Hey, do you know who’s playing at the jazz club downtown … Cedar Walton, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Curtis Fuller, Billy Higgins, and Buster Williams”. Would you buy a ticket? Hell ya, of course, you would. You can’t miss an opportunity to hear these legends play. Consider this record, that ticket.
So now you can enter Keystone Korner jazz club and witness this concert, be it 40 years later, as this was recorded live in San Francisco in 1982. The club closed its doors one year later btw.
Going back to my comments in the LABEL section. I went to an Eric Clapton concert once and at the end I felt that what I just witnessed was a bunch of super professionals who showed up to do a job. They did a good job, but there was no spark.
That’s the risk with albums like this. Musicianship at the highest level, but it’s not like listening to Curtis Fuller’s album ‘The Opener” on Blue Note (I played a cut from that album during the most recent RAW Music Store meet-up). Something original was created there and you can hear it.
Side 1 of our review album was like that Eric Clapton concert. Side 2 came alive with an extended rendition of ‘My Foolish Heart‘ mostly featuring Bobby Hutcherson on the vibraphone and it closed with a Curtis Fuller original called ‘Arabia‘. Both pieces are worth the price of admission alone.
The entire album is available on youtube, check it out here:
RAW MUSIC STORE
This album is available online at the RAW MUSIC STORE site – it’s on offer at the moment with a 20% discount (from 100 to 80 AED). Overall it’s a solid and enjoyable effort and it sounds pretty good as well.
PERSONNEL
- Bass – Buster Williams
- Drums – Billy Higgins
- Piano – Cedar Walton
- Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land
- Trombone – Curtis Fuller
- Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson
TRACKS
A1 Introduction
A2 Clockwise
A3 Stella By Starlight
A4 Lover Man
B1 My Foolish Heart
B2 Highway One
B3 Arabia