RICHARD DAVIS
Forest Flowers (32 Jazz)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Producer Todd Barkan, longtime proprietor of the legendary San Francisco jazz club Keystone Korner, has inherited the enviable task of mining the Muse Records catalog for 32 Jazz, and with Forest Flowers he's come up with a highly polished, multi-faceted gem.

Richard Davis is a, perhaps *the*, consummate bassist. He moves freely between academia, symphony stages, jazz clubs and recording studios and enriches every venue with his skill and vision. No one has done more to extend the range of his chosen instrument, and no one does more to point to the future, both with his own play and with his cultivation of young musicians. If the music world didn't have him, they'd have to create him.

This disc features 12 cuts drawn from three albums Davis released on Muse in the mid-seventies. 9 of the 12 include a second bassist, Bill Lee, in the lineup, freeing Davis of some of the rhythmic chores usually assigned to the instrument and freeing him to take his place as a lead voice, which he does capably whether playing arco or plucked bass. If you're unfamiliar with his work, you'll come away with a new appreciation for the versatility of the double bass in a jazz setting.

You'll also get to hear great performances from James Spaulding (alto, flute), Chick Corea (piano), Joe Henderson (tenor), Billy Cobham (drums) and others in the three outstanding and very different lineups that appeared on the three source albums. Altogether, the combination of great performances from so many under the leadership of a genuine pioneer and virtuoso make this a key addition to your jazz shelf.

Track List:

Forest Flower * Take The A Train * Passion Flower * A Third Away * Wind Flower * Dear Old Stockholm * Monica * The Rabbi * Baby Sweets * On The Trail * I'm Old Fashioned * Song Of Gratitude

© 2000 - Shaun Dale