BukkyLeo: Evolution

Rating: ★★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Joe Dyson (d)
Robert Glasper (p, ky)
Jonathan Kreisberg (g)
Keyon Harrold (t)
Jonathan Blake (d)
John Ellis (p)
Joe Lovano (ts)
Dr Lonnie Smith (org)
Robert Glasper

Label:

Blue Note

April/2016

RecordDate:

date not stated

Still going strong today, British-Nigerian saxophonist Bukky Leo was our own Pharoah Sanders in the late 1980s. His breakout album Rejoice In Righteousness was well in the vein of Sanders' ‘You've Got To Have Freedom’, and his ripe, full tone and thrusting improvisations certainly struck a chord with the acid jazz fraternity in the heyday of clubs such as Dingwalls. This is a welcome reissue insofar as it documents Leo's beginnings as well as the presence in the UK of a brilliant expatriate American, drummer Clifford Jarvis, revered for his work with Freddie Hubbard and Sun Ra, as well as his workshops. For the most part it's an enjoyable quartet session that celebrates the core values of blues, balladry and swing, whether in 4/4 or 3/4, as on the beautiful ‘A Waltz For Joe’, a possible nod to the legendary Mr Henderson, showing that Leo is an agile and engaging soloist who can also pen a good tune.

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