Benson, Hubbard, Laws, Turrentine, Crawford, Hammond, Carter, Cobham,
Airto
California Concert: The Hollywood Palladium
CTI Records
www.sonymusic.com
By George W. Harris

Originally issued as a classic double long playing album, this 2 cd
reissue almost doubles the original amount of music that was released, and it’s all
unbelievable. Label owner Creed Taylor brought the whole Meghilla
together for this 1971 gig, and these stretched out takes are just the
best that jazz had to offer at the time.

A 22 minute reading of “Impressions” has Hubbard, Turrentine and Laws just going for the gusto, while Hubbard’s “Straight Life” gives almost 20 minutes of
unfiltered passion from The Hub and George Benson. Hubbard at this time of his career was the cock of the trumpet walk; his second solo on his signature “Red Clay” is simply other worldly. Just how did he make that horn sound like that?!? Benson also goes
wild on “So What” while teaming with Johnny Hammond’s B3 as they give Carol King’s
“It’s Too Late” the work out of its life. This is the guy that gave us “Give Me The Night”? On this night, he reminds people that he gave Miles Davis a run for his money on “In A Silent Way.” All throughout this gig, the rhythm team of Cobham, Airto, Carter and Billy Cobham play it, as the emcee says, “Hip, Heavy and Hard.”

Almost all of these songs give the guys a lot of solo space, which begs an important question: why do I keep attention during these stretched out runs by the guys, when the guys that play the same length of solos put me to sleep? Is it because these musicians from the 70s actually have a story to tell, while the current crop of jazz guys just want to play notes? Just a guess.

I don’t know what else you’d be looking for in jazz, but if you don’t find it here, switch to indie
rock, for Pete’s sake!