BUSTER WILLIAMS
Pinnacle (32 Jazz)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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By the time he finally recorded this, his first session as a leader, Buster Williams had become one of the most respected and solid bass players in jazz. He had worked with some of the best in a wide variety of jazz styles, from the bop of Sonny Stitt to the vocal jazz of Sarah Vaughan, and he'd done some serious envelope pushing with Herbie Hancock's septet.

On this 1975 Muse album, Williams mixes it up with both acoustic and Fender electric basses, taking some inventive two-string solos and opening the floor to a great supporting cast that includes Sonny Fortune (sax) and Woody Shaw (Trumpet). Four of the five tunes are Buster Williams originals. "The Hump" trades on a funky vibe from Williams' electric bass and the electric piano of Onaje Allan Gumbs, and it does threaten to fly outside the lines here and there, but it always swerves back onto the road just before the edge of the cliff.

Trumpeter Shaw's bright tone is showcased nicely in the mellow and exotic title track. His solo plays on empty spaces as much as notes, and since the musical soundscape below him is so airy, it's an extremely effective solo, more about tone and surprise than scales. Fortune, one of the unsung greats, contributes exciting and tasteful solos on soprano sax, flute, and alto flute, and as always, his performance alone would make this disc worth seeking out. The same could be said of Billy Hart's drumming. But what makes this worth any effort you have to make to get ahold of it is this: jazz sessions led by bass players have a unique twist and could almost be given their own genre label, and Buster Williams is one of jazz's most interesting players and, as it turned out, a pretty fine composer. The fact that it can be had for around seven bucks should end any procrastination.

Track List:

The Hump * Noble Ego * Pinnacle * Tayamisha * Batuki

© 2000 - DJ Johnson