 Given the almost ubiquitous presence of two particular
instruments in most blues recordings today, neophytes might well assume it's
always been a guitar and harmonica-fuelled form.
But there was a time
when the lead instrument was more likely a saxophone. Of course, we're talking
here about a time when the blues had moved uptown, when swing was king and the
lines between jazz and blues weren't quite so intractable as they seem
today.
As one of Canada's finest saxophone players, Gene Hardy has
played with a breathtaking number of performers, and has a list of recording
credits longer than my arm. How he finds the time to teach, compose, and write
about the saxophone, I'll never know. And that doesn't even factor in his
proficiency on violin, theramin, and musical saw!
To my knowledge, this
is Hardy's debut under his own name; as befits someone who's widely recognized
as a consummate sideman, he's chosen here to showcase a variety of styles, with
elements of blues, jazz, torch, soul, and even country in the mix. Thankfully,
he's musically astute enough to assemble the package with an intelligent
approach to pacing and sequencing, so everything flows smoothly
enough.
Hardy opens with what surely must be the sax player's version of
Mustang Sally - Bill Doggett's immortal Honky Tonk. Gotta know it, gotta do it,
'cause the people love it. Bet he gets tired of it, though. Still, Hardy's a
pro through and through, so this is one of the finer, and yes, more innovative
versions around. Hardy gives it lots of honk, of course, but the rhythm
arrangement, powered by Jono Grant's organ and handclaps from both he and
Hardy, has an extra push often lacking in other versions.
Lester Leaps
In is given a straightforward reading that showcases Hardy's jazz chops; then
it's a sultry Sweet Lotus Blossom, the first of three vocal turns by Laura
Hubert. Hubert's voice is nothing short of a marvel… smoky and sexy, she's
both tender and tough, ideally suited to the tune's "film-noirish" mood. Dennis
Keldie takes over organ duties here, and his moody fills account for a huge
part of the song's success.
Hardy's own Quay Waltz, a live cut lifted
intact from a recent release by Sparkjiver (another of Hardy's many endeavors)
fairly burns with soaring, smoky passion, powered by Rod Phillips' organ (one
doesn't play as many sessions as Hardy without making a few friends) and
Downchild alumnus Jim Casson on drums.
Down In Dallas is a bit of a
surprise (when's the last time you heard a Patsy Cline cover?) and marks the
return of Laura Hubert. She's no Patsy (pun intended), wisely eschewing
imitation in favour of simply being herself; it's one of the disc's many
highlights.
Georgia - here unforgivably attributed to Willie Nelson
(yeah, he did a nice job on his Stardust album, but geez …Georgia? Willie?
C'mon, Gene!) - is indeed Hoagy Carmichael's standard of standards. This is as
lovely an instrumental version as any out there, with Hardy exploring and
toying with the familiar melodic lines, ably augmented by Peter Hill's
percussive piano.
Lest things get too sleepy, Hardy follows with a pair
of self-penned burners, Geep's Blues and Wham!, both short and sweet, the
former jazzy (again taken from a Sparkjiver recording), while the latter is
flat-out rock 'n' roll with a healthy dose of surf-cool.
While I'm a
huge fan of Hubert's, I can't say her version of Since I Fell For You works
terribly well; she just doesn't seem to inhabit the lyrics, and never appears
to get a handle on the tune's tricky melody.
Better is Harlem Nocturne,
another standard otherwise done to death; yet Gene does this one as a duet with
just Jono Grant's quietly effective guitar for support, again showing he knows
how to inject his own ideas into the familiar while retaining a measure of
respect for the melody.
Things close with another Sparkjiver cut,
Cleanin' Out The Attic. This one opens and closes with the scratchy sound of an
old record, presumably intended to put the song into chronological perspective
(it sounds like something from the forties). It almost seems as if, with only
organ and drums for backing, Hardy's out to prove bass and guitar can indeed be
superfluous. This one cooks!
While Blow! Blow! Blow! may have a bit of a
cobbled-together feel (originally intended as a demo, perhaps?), Hardy's talent
and taste make this a satisfying, if varied, package. And for lovers of sax -
well, it doesn't get much better. The man's a
monster!
Recommended!
Copyright 2003.
Review by John Taylor.
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