|
by Rick Holland
|
 Route 66 | | Personnel: John Chiodini, Guitar, Jim Hughart, Bass, George Gaffney, Piano, and Harold Jones, Drums | | Tracks: Route 66,Pearl Eyes (Spanish Eyes),Shadow Of Your Smile,Reunion,Light As A Feather,DMB (D Minor Blues),Sing A Rainbow,A Child Is Born),Steppin' With H & B,Take The A Train,Sweet Georgia Brown,I'm Walkin'. | |
Harold Jones - Affinity "Route 66"
For eight years, AFFINITY, John Chiodini, Guitar, Jim Hughart, Bass, George Gaffney, Piano, and Harold Jones, Drums were the rhythm-section for Natalie Cole and appeared on the now famous recording “Unforgettable, With Love”. From this association, AFFINITY was born. The group members bios read like a “Who’s Who” in the record business. On ROUTE 66, the group perform a program of original and standard instrumentals including Route 66, Take The A Train, and The Shadow Of Your Smile, to name a few. Webster defines the word AFFINITY as “Sympathy marked by community of interest, kinship, and likeness”. With AFFINITY, the music is all that and more.
Although this disc was released a couple of years ago, I really wanted to bring this to the attention of the JR247 audience. This disc is a lesson on how to play standard jazz. It’s swingin’, listenable and is full of great improvisational highlights. This is a rhythm section that is absolutely comfortable playing together. What I love is the time feel. Man, they are so on the same page. It feels so good, I just want everyone who teaches Jazz Ed. or plays in a trio setting somewhere, to check out how they place the time. It’s upfront, but does not “rush”! The time contains active pulse, and I can’t imagine many rhythm sections that would be easier to play with. Their definition is “perfectly placed”.
If you love listening to “standard” jazz, this trio does not shy away playing some the most classic tunes performed in thee last 50 years. Tunes like The Shadow of Your Smile, Spanish Eyes, Route 66, Take the A Train and Sweet Georgia Brown will return you to repeated listens. Despite so many people who have overplayed tunes such as these, this group recaptures the “magic” of these classics. They do this with their masterful playing and imagination.
John Chiodini on guitar and George Gaffney (piano) play with such exquisite taste and beauty. Harold Jones (Drums) and Jim Hugart (Bass) also have beautiful touch and taste. Improvisationally, these players display beautifully crafted phrases. They display melodic sensibility and harmonic mastery.
Please---- if good taste and beautiful music is your thing, please buy this disc!!! You will not be sorry. In an age where beauty is casted off like a previous passing fad, these musicians remind us how melody and beauty still prevails over so many musical fancies. They do it with a swingin’ groove that will know your socks off
|
Rick Holland |
| About the author: |
| A versatile musician and veteran performer in organizations such as the Louie Bellson Big Band (Chicago Based Band), Jimmy Dorsey, Mike Pendowski, Rob Parton , Buddy De Franco, Buselli-Wallrab and Terry Gibbs Bands, Rick Holland brings a wealth of experience and musicality to each performance. |
| Read More >> | |
|
|
