I first saw Billy Bang 11 years ago when he was in my town playing with the Sun Ra Arkestra. He stood out in that band, which is saying a lot. This is the first of his solo albums I’ve heard and it’s a humdinger. His puckish, gutsy bluesy electric violin is thrilling. The bass sounds are always there or implied. He doesn’t get into his head too much like so many improv guys. He keeps himself always rooted in the best kind of way. And yet he incorporates 20th Century classical compositional techniques into his mix. Rader is fully his match. He’s across the spectrum, exciting, a killer. At times reminiscent of Billy Higgins, he’s got his own sound and is a corker. See these guys live and watch them tear the roof off the sucker like jazz seldom does anymore. This cd confirms that they’re at the top of their collective game.
- Richard Grooms
Jazz may be on the respirator - especially where live performance is South Florida is concerned - but there were some excellent jazz albums released this year, providing a glimmer of hope that the art form will live on into the next millennium. Here is my list of 1999’s best jazz CDs.
Echoes by Abbey Rader and Billy Bang (Abray). Coral Springs-based drummer Rader and avant-garde violinist Bang took time out of their tour schedule to cut this excellent duo recording. Bang bows a magnificent fiddle, not sounding harsh or strident, and Rader peels sheets of sound off his drum kit with an aggressive attack that makes you glad you’re not a drum head. Still, the drummer displays great control and shimmer-to-thunder dynamics. Bang’s poetic reading of “One for Jazz - for Dennis Charles” is also a highlight. Visit Abray’s web site at www.abbeyrader.com.