Bridge Quartet - Night

Styles:  Jazz, Bop
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:02
Size: 166,1 MB
Art: Front

(12:22)  1. Wouldn't It Be Lovely
(13:59)  2. Green Dolphin Street
(11:38)  3. A Face Like Yours
( 9:01)  4. Strode Rode
( 9:54)  5. Isfahan
(15:05)  6. Bemsha Swing

For jazz fans with some historical listening under their belts, the word "Bridge" will bring to mind Sonny Rollins' album, The Bridge (Bluebird/RCA, 1962), a set that Rollins released after a three-year hiatus, and changed the saxophonist's musical trajectory from Ornette Coleman-influenced freedom to a more traditional mainstream, but still adventurous, sound. The Bridge Quartet works very much in that Rollins-esque, post-Bridge mode. It's Phil Dwyer's full-bodied saxophone in front of an inspired rhythm team, featuring pianist Darrell Grant, bassist Tom Wakeling, and drummer Alan Jones. The group's previous set, Day (Origin Records, 2008), was a studio affair, recorded in the same 36-hour period as Night, which showcases the ensemble in a live setting. The feeling on both sets is much the same, with Night, as one would expect of a live recording, featuring the tunes in a more stretched out mode, with more room for soloing all around. Much like Rollins, the Bridge Quartet takes on familiar melodies with a fiery gusto, beginning with the buoyant 12-minute take on the Lerner and Lowe gem, "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," moving into an energized and freewheeling rendition of "Green Dolphin Street," with Dwyer wrapping up the roll down that familiar avenue in a "Surrey With the Fringe on the Top." "A Face Like Yours" opens with Darrell Grant's gorgeously supple piano sound before Dwyer blows in with a yearning feeling. 

It's 11 minutes-plus of heart-rendering, breathtaking beauty in the middle of a mostly high octane affair that proves the Bridge Quartet has its own sweet way with a ballad. "Strode Rode," from the pen of Sonny Rollins, blasts full speed ahead, full of muscle and grit, and Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan" steps lightly, in pretty and contemplative fashion. The set closes with "Bemsha Swing," one of Thelonious Monk's most brilliant tunes. It opens on a smooth rolling rhythm before the saxophone slices in. Pianist Grant gets a lot of space, and he shines in it, smoothing out the Monk-ian angles and taking things into a dance groove before Dwyer shifts things into a freer gear, and addresses the sharp corners of Sonny Rollins' "East Broadway Rundown," from the 1966 Impulse! Records set of the same name, along the way, bringing an especially fine jazz set to a close. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/night-origin-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Phil Dwyer: saxophone; Darrell Grant: piano; Tom Wakling: bass; Alan Jones: drums.

Night

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Bridge Quartet - Day

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:06
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:38)  1. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
(10:26)  2. Exidence
( 6:35)  3. Angel Street
( 6:37)  4. Where Or When
( 5:48)  5. Strode Rode
( 7:51)  6. Italian Sorrow
( 8:30)  7. Milestones
( 6:39)  8. Three for Three

The Portland, Oregon-based Bridge Quartet is a group of hard-swinging musical daredevils who play with ultra-modern sensibilities. The ensemble consists of drummer Alan Jones, pianist Darrell Grant, bassist Tom Wakeling and Canadian saxophonist Phil Dwyer. Their debut release, Day, contains fresh takes on well-worn standards like "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "Where or When" and "Milestones," along with enticing original material. With an emphasis on group interaction, each of the disc's eight tracks bubbles over with an abundance of dynamic intensity. Jones' lengthy "Exidence" is an enticing exploration of rhythmic and harmonic complexity. Dwyer displays confident lyricism, patiently awaiting a torrent of emotional outpouring for the tune's ending. Other highlights include a rather pensive reading of Rodgers and Hart's "Where or When," featuring meandering solo turns by Dwyer and Grant, and a burning take on Sonny Rollins' "Strode Rode," displaying the individual prowess of the entire band. Jones' bombastic maneuvers are nothing short of sensational. For all of the fire and invention heard in Dwyer and Grant, it is Jones' prodding and poking that brings out the best in each soloist. The level of musicianship among these four stalwarts is obvious. What's more impressive, however, is the sensitive, open-ended camaraderie within the band that elevates the music to an insightful level of jazz expression. ~ John Barron https://www.allaboutjazz.com/day-origin-records-review-by-john-barron.php

Personnel: Alan Jones: drums; Darrell Grant: piano; Tom Wakeling: bass; Phil Dwyer: saxophone.

Day

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