LP Review: ‘theater’ or ‘theatre’, ‘Benny’ or ‘Bennie’ ? – Bennie Wallace – live at the Public Theater (1978)
INNER CITY RECORDS 1978, US ORIGINAL PRESSING IC 3034
Artist
Eddie, Dennie, and Bennie sound like an entry for the Eurovision song contest. What we have here though is a world-class jazz trio, so read on…
The New York Arts Journal, in 1979, called Bennie Lee Wallace “the most important reed player since Eric Dolphy and Coleman Hawkins”. He made about 21 albums as a leader and played on others as a sideman. After studying clarinet at the University of Tennessee, Wallace settled in New York in 1971 with the encouragement of pianist extraordinaire Monty Alexander, who hired him and recommended him to the local branch of the American Federation of Musicians, which basically guaranteed his entry. Wallace played with Barry Harris, Buddy Rich, and Dannie Richmond. His debut recording was done with Flip Phillips and Scott Hamilton in 1977. He also writes film music. He has cited Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins among many major saxophone influences.
You can read his short bio here.
Label
Inner City Records was kind of a cool label. They did all sorts of things in jazz, fusion, avant-garde, and world music – a great visual overview you can find here. Created by industry legend Irv Kratka and producer Eric Kriss, Inner City Records was formed in 1976. During its decade in existence, the label released over 300 albums and in 1979 was voted Record Label Of The Year by the International Jazz Critics Poll. You can read a short interview with Irv Kratka here.
Music
This is a very well-recorded live set – all the instruments sound very natural to my ears. The set starts off with a cacophony of sounds and then settles into a clever rhythm. At this point in Bennie’s career, his expression on the sax was Thelonius Monk-like, which means somewhat sparse and bordering on avant-garde/free jazz. This is the nature of the entire set so it’s high on energy and improv and low on melody. This is not an album you put on as background music. While it is not a personal favorite – it was generally well regarded by the critics – I do recognize that this is interesting music. For fans of the genre, I am sure that with every listen new details will unveil themselves.
What you can hear is the beautiful tone Wallace has. Here it contrasts with wide intervals, jumps, and advanced improvising. At the time someone called Bennie Wallace a ‘forward-looking, exploratory traditionalist’ which seems contradictory but is sort of true as he started out with a lot of avant-garde sounds and later in the nineties made more traditional, melodic, jazz with his recordings on Joe Harley’s Audioquest label.
I could not find this particular album on youtube, but the closest thing is another album from 1978 where he plays with Eddie Gomez on bass and Eddie Moore on drums (he seems to have a thing with all these Eddies!! 🙂
RAW Music Store
This record is only available in the store so you have to ask Sam or Yassine. For only 60AED you get an excellent-sounding original US pressing on Inner City Records from 1978 in very good shape though the sleeve has some ring wear.
Tracks
A1. Broadside 13:34
A2. In A Sentimental Mood 7:36
B1. Blue `Monk 9:49
B2. Head 9:46
Personnel
Bennie Wallace, tenor saxophone
Eddie Gomez, double bass
Dennie Richmond, drums