BOBBY PREVITE
& BUMP
Just Add Water
Palmetto
PM-2081
About twenty years ago, Bobby Previte released his first album, “Bump
the Renaissance” on the tiny, Germany-based Sound Aspects label.
It was, for me, a complete revelation. Working with a quintet of New York
rebels (including ex-Tower of Power reedman Lenny Pickett, and French
horn player Tom Varner) Previte’s dark, gritty music blended hard
bop and Mingusian polyphony with elements from modern classical music
and minimalism (anyone out there remember minimalism?) to create some
of the most refreshing jazz of the decade. The strong musical personalities
of Pickett, Varner, pianist Richard Schulman gave Previte’s quintet
a readily identifiable signature sound. Previte’s subsequent LP,
Pushing the Envelope (on the late, lamented Gramavision label), continued
in a similar vein, though saxophonist Marty Ehrlich and pianist Wayne
Horvitz replaced Pickett and Schulman. In those days of rampant Marsalis-mania,
it was a relief to hear acoustic modern jazz that didn’t sound like
New Age music, or a re-hash of Blue Note stuff from the early 1960s. Ironically,
Previte’s emphasis on compositions and a real group sound caused
many to overlook his prodigious skills as a drummer. No one would make
that mistake today, especially after hearing Previte with his new edition
of the ‘Bump’ band on “Just Add Water”. At times,
he sounds as if he’s channeling Tony Williams.
Just Add Water continues in much the same vein as Pushing the Envelope,
though the sound here is grittier, funkier and earthier. Part of this
can be credited to the wild and wooly sounds of trombonists Ray Anderson
and Joe Bowie, and to Steve Swallow’s subtly punchy electric bass.
But the key element to the success of this CD is the utterly gorgeous
playing of saxophonist Marty Ehrlich. The owner of perhaps the most ravishingly
beautiful saxophone sound on the planet, Ehrlich luxuriates in Previte’s
plangent melodies and slightly sour, world-weary harmonies. Ehrlich is
also a supremely economical and emotionally direct player – he never
falls back on cheap histrionics to put a solo across. His, and Horvitz’,
performances on Nice Try (the disc’ssole ballad) arequietly moving
in ways that even a casual listener could understand.
Most of this CD just plain rocks in ways that most neo-bop would never
dare to. “’53 Maserati” a reworking of a cut (Otto the
Auto) from Bump The Renaissance is slower and looser than the original.
Here, Ehrlich and Anderson trade choruses over Previte’s slappy backbeat
and Horvitz’ funky comping. Stingray also explores funk and blues,
but with an almost Dixieland-like ethic. Put Away Your Crayons, Everything
I Want, and All Hail Kirby are lyrical, extended pieces that vaguely recall
some of the material on Pushing the Envelope and Bump The Renaissance.
Most refreshingly, none of Previte’s pieces follow a simple, straightforward
head-solos-head trajectory. Most of these pieces have various themes,
sub-themes, and variations on themes. These are presented in an interesting,
organic fashion – and not for the purpose of dazzling the listener.
But I was dazzled anyway.
--Dave Wayne
Track Listing: 1. Put Away Your Crayons; 2. Nice Try; 3. Leave Here Now;
4.’53 Maserati; 5.’63; 6. Stingray; 7. Everything I Want; 8.
All Hail Kirby!; 9. Theme for an Imaginary Denouement.
Personnel: Previte – drums; Steve Swallow – electric bass; Marty
Ehrlich – tenor saxophone; Wayne Horvitz – piano; Ray Anderson
– trombone; Joseph Bowie – trombone.