Don Braden - In the Spirit of Herbie Hancock (Live at De Witte) '2020

Tracks list

Tracklist
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01. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Maiden Voyage (Live) 
02. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Watermelon Man (Live) 
03. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Actual Proof (Live) 
04. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Speak Like a Child (Live) 
05. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - The Ingenious Catalyst (Live) 
06. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Role Model (Live) 
07. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Butterfly (Live) 
08. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Driftin’ (Live) 
09. Don Braden / Joris Teepe Quartet - Yesterdays (Live) 



Saxophonist and flutist Don Braden and double bassist Joris Teepe have been
collaborating in many different musical situations for more than twenty-five
years, most recently on the 2016 album Conversations. This album presents a live
performance where they are joined by Rob van Bavel on piano and Owen Hart Jr. on
drums in a live performance recorded during November of 2019 at The Hague in The
Netherlands. They focus on the music of the great pianist and composer Herbie
Hancock, arranging a cross-section of his compositions to form a varied program,
adding two of their own compositions that were strongly influenced by Hancock as
well. "Maiden Voyage" works well as a lead-off tune, it is a familiar theme that
the jazz savvy in the audience can immediately grasp, and the enigmatic nature
of the composition allows the players a lot of room to develop individual and
group expression. Pianist Rob van Bavel does yeoman's work here and throughout
the concert, not trying to be Hancock by proxy, but playing the music with
imagination and vigor. Braden takes an excellent tenor saxophone solo that he is
able to develop at length, aided admirably by an alternately swinging and
seeking rhythm section. They follow with "Watermelon Man" which admirably
displays the funky and populist side of Hanocock's work. van Bavel's piano is
bright and strong and the whole infectious performance is buoyed by Hart Jr.'s
crisp drumming. The band as a whole really dives into this performance with a
great deal of energy and the crowd just eats it up. The group works well on some
of Hancock's more impressionistic music as well, developing a speculative full
band theme and improvisation on "Speak Like a Child" that glides through that
mysterious and atmospheric sound world in a confident and imaginative manner.
Braden moves to flute on "Butterfly," which he plays in a lithe and nimble
fashion, gracefully floating over the piano, bass and drums unit which plays
with the utmost refinement. Overall, this album worked very well and the fans
assembled at the jazz club were treated to a concert of excellent music from a
band that was dialed in and ready to play, and this disc should be enjoyed by
anyone who has an affinity for modern mainstream jazz.

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