Mixing the dusky romanticism of
Dexter Gordon and the progressive tonal ideology of
John Coltrane,
Booker Ervin is often filed under "A" for amalgam alongside other overlooked tenor masters such as
Tina Brooks and
Hank Mobley.
Structurally Sound is perhaps not
Ervin's most provocative album, but a solid and tasty endeavor featuring the "suspended" chord sounds popularized by
McCoy Tyner during the late '60s. Here, the chords come via the brilliant pianist
John Hicks, who opens the album with funky high-end triplet figures on
Randy Weston's "Berkshire Blues." Joining in is a well-selected roster of musicians, many of whom were also overshadowed by their more well-known contemporaries, including
Charles Tolliver on trumpet,
Red Mitchell on bass, and
Lenny McBrowne on drums.
Tolliver contributes the original composition "Franess," a
Wayne Shorter-influenced affair that features his fat and burnished tone. They also cover
Oliver Nelson's blissful standard "Stolen Moments" to good effect. Originally ending with an athletic up-tempo version of "Take the 'A' Train," the Blue Note Connoisseur Series reissue includes a sparkling "Shiny Stockings," featuring an especially inspired chorus by
Ervin. An oddball version of "White Christmas" also makes it onto the disc, as do alternate takes of "Franess" and "Deep Night." ~ Matt Collar