On View at the Five Spot Cafe

by Kenny Burrell

Overview

Kenny Burrell and Art Blakey played together infrequently during their careers, so this meeting of jazz minds is a welcome occasion. On View is a rather short set issued from club dates at the Five Spot Cafe in New York City. No matter the configuration, this is come-what-may jazz that has no pressurized content, and a relaxed atmosphere allowing the music to organically breathe and come alive naturally. This feeling comes to the fore right away on Dizzy Gillespie's "Birk's Works," a rather polite version as Burrell tosses out his discriminating versions of the melody. Incorrectly identified as "Lady Be Good," this is actually an adaptation reworked by Thelonious Monk titled "Hackensack." It's a fast jam kicked off by a signature Blakey solo, where the band flies by the seat of their pants, and good feelings are fostered through the simple and solid tenor work of Tina Brooks. Though not penned by Duke Ellington, the elegance he displayed and Burrell revered is quite evident during the ballad "Lover Man." Randy Weston's "Beef Stew Blues," Ray Brown's obscure "Swingin'," and the classic Tadd Dameron ballad "If You Could See Me Now" further illuminate how good this group could have been had they turned into a working unit. As the dawn of the '60s saw new breed jazz fomenting, Burrell, Blakey, and company proved you could still swing and remain melodic while creating new sonic vistas. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Product Details

Release Date:	06/25/2021
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031430088
Rank:	82932

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kenny Burrell   Primary Artist,Spoken Word,Guitar
Art Blakey   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Drums
Tina Brooks   Guest Artist,Guitar,Sax (Tenor)
Roland Hanna   Guest Artist,Piano
Bobby Timmons   Guest Artist,Piano
Ben Tucker   Bass

Technical Credits

Clifford Grey   Composer
Dizzy Gillespie   Composer
Francis Wolff   Photography
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
Ron McMaster   Digital Transfers
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer,Recording,Mastering Engineer
Jimmy Davis   Composer
Michael Cuscuna   Producer,Liner Notes
Vincent Youmans   Composer
Carl Sigman   Composer
Alfred Lion   Producer
Joe Goldberg   Liner Notes
Jimmie Davis   Composer
Claude Gray   Composer
Clifford Brown   Composer
Leo Robin   Composer
Roger "Ram" Ramirez   Composer
Public Domain   Composer
Jimmy Sherman   Composer
Kenny Burrell   Composer
Tadd Dameron   Composer
Randy Weston   Composer
Roger Ramirez   Composer
Reid Miles   Cover Design