John Ellis - Copperopolis (2022 Remaster) '2023

Tracks list

Longtime Charlie Hunter associates John Ellis (reeds and keys) and drummer
Derrek Phillips were soon to leave the fold after the recording of this session,
but there is no sign of undue tension in this typically impressive set. The
proceedings kick off with the hard rocking "Cueball Bobbin'...," where Ellis
switches from keys to sax and back as Hunter rips into some of his hardest
rocking riffs, weaving around the other instruments like a prizefighter taunting
his opponent. If nothing else quite matches the driving intensity of that track,
the rest is immensely enjoyable jazz-rock fusion that plays far more to the jazz
side of that equation. The disc was recorded in New Orleans, which might account
for the spooky second-line rhythm of "Swamba Redux," a taut concoction that
features Ellis' melodica on the opening lines, followed by his impassioned tenor
blowing. These three play together with a loose precision that's both slippery
and rugged, finding a groove and riding it on material that slides through
surprises and changes but never seems showy for the sake of it. The trio pushes
into minor-key avant-garde territory on the opening of the title track, before
settling into a dark bluesy shuffle somewhat like Miles Davis' work with John
McLaughlin. When Ellis blows dirty sax against Hunter's growling tremolo guitar
lines, the tune takes off to the stratosphere. It's one of the moments that,
even at close to six minutes, fades out too soon. Co-producers Hunter and Chris
Finney often isolate the guitar in one speaker and the sax in the other, which
provides a live feel and a vivid tension between the two instruments. The
portentously titled "A Street Fight Could Break Out" is a surprisingly jaunty
side trip; its walking, finger-popping bassline provides some of the album's
lighter moments. The closing take on Thelonious Monk's "Think of One," the
album's sole cover, is transformed by more second-line drumming and an Ellis
tenor solo that sizzles. Most impressive, though, is how the three members play
off and respond to each other, with nobody, even Hunter, stealing the spotlight
on a disc that keeps revealing new twists. If this is to be the final bow of
this configuration, at least the bandmembers leave on top.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Charlie Hunter - Cueball Bobbin' (7:06)
1.02 - Charlie Hunter - Frontman (5:39)
1.03 - Charlie Hunter - Samba Redux (6:24)
1.04 - Charlie Hunter - Copperopolis (5:50)
1.05 - Charlie Hunter - Blue Sock (8:08)
1.06 - Charlie Hunter - The Pursuit Package (2:14)
1.07 - Charlie Hunter - Street Fight Could Break Out (6:49)
1.08 - Charlie Hunter - Drop The Rock (6:27)
1.09 - Charlie Hunter - Think Of One (5:18)

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