Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:35
Size: 148,2 MB
Art: Front
(8:25) 1. Jive Samba
(7:11) 2. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:45) 3. King Of Leonne
(7:57) 4. Thieves In The Temple
(5:48) 5. You've Changed
(7:44) 6. A Night In Tunesia
(8:17) 7. 1-2-3
(5:23) 8. I Wanna Make It With You
(8:00) 9. Willow Weep For Me
The African-American Hammond B3 specialist Frazier first earned his spurs working in bands led by Marvin Gaye and Lou Donaldson before branching out on his own. His hitherto limited discography has included a ‘name’ album (Hail Caesar, 1972) and more recent collaborations with Eric Alexander and Peter Bernstein. He also sings, but not here.
Now comes his first-ever live album, made while on a short Danish tour, and given the very specific quartet template of organ-tenor-guitar-drums, it works pleasingly well, placing Frazier’s music firmly in in the ‘funky soul-jazz category’ where I guess it always has been.
This is given initial impetus with Nat Adderley’s ‘Jive Samba’, suitably chunky and vigorous, drummer Osgood’s unrelenting back-beat dominant. Frazier says he was inspired by Jimmy Smith. and he certainly knows his way around this bluesy combo format, with tenorman Kullhammar, moving easily from gutsy drive to rather more complex improvisations;
I particularly liked what the quartet made of Prince’s ‘Thieves In The Temple’, guitarist Wamberg letting everything rip, as Frazier builds a series of tremolo-based riffs. ‘A Night in Tunesia’ (sic) was a surprise, with a prolonged drum entry and some fairly random interplay. Len Barry’s ‘1-2-3’ is more settled with Kullhammar’s best playing of the set and David Gates’ groovy ‘I Wanna Make It With You’, a true crowd-pleaser, swings insistently. ‘Willow Weep For Me’ is likeable too, sedate and relaxed. Should you hanker for the era when Smith, McGriff and McDuff were in their pomp, then this is for you. By Peter Vacher https://www.jazzwise.com/review/caesar-frazier-live-at-jazzcup
Personnel: Caesar Frazier – Hammond B 3; Jonas Kullhammar – tenor sax; Johannes Wamberg – guitar; Kresten Osgood – drums
Now comes his first-ever live album, made while on a short Danish tour, and given the very specific quartet template of organ-tenor-guitar-drums, it works pleasingly well, placing Frazier’s music firmly in in the ‘funky soul-jazz category’ where I guess it always has been.
This is given initial impetus with Nat Adderley’s ‘Jive Samba’, suitably chunky and vigorous, drummer Osgood’s unrelenting back-beat dominant. Frazier says he was inspired by Jimmy Smith. and he certainly knows his way around this bluesy combo format, with tenorman Kullhammar, moving easily from gutsy drive to rather more complex improvisations;
I particularly liked what the quartet made of Prince’s ‘Thieves In The Temple’, guitarist Wamberg letting everything rip, as Frazier builds a series of tremolo-based riffs. ‘A Night in Tunesia’ (sic) was a surprise, with a prolonged drum entry and some fairly random interplay. Len Barry’s ‘1-2-3’ is more settled with Kullhammar’s best playing of the set and David Gates’ groovy ‘I Wanna Make It With You’, a true crowd-pleaser, swings insistently. ‘Willow Weep For Me’ is likeable too, sedate and relaxed. Should you hanker for the era when Smith, McGriff and McDuff were in their pomp, then this is for you. By Peter Vacher https://www.jazzwise.com/review/caesar-frazier-live-at-jazzcup
Personnel: Caesar Frazier – Hammond B 3; Jonas Kullhammar – tenor sax; Johannes Wamberg – guitar; Kresten Osgood – drums
Live At Jazzcup
