Keyboardist
John Beasley has enjoyed success as a commercially oriented contemporary instrumentalist, and it is not surprising that he, like so many others, owes a debt of gratitude to
Herbie Hancock.
Beasley has chosen to rework some of the compositions
Hancock made famous in his early days as a leader, and during the time with the funk/fusion band
the Headhunters. Playing mainly the acoustic piano and teamed with heavyweights
Christian McBride and
Jeff Watts, there's a drive, verve, and passion in the trio that matches the pianist's desire to take
Hancock's music to a different level. Trumpeter
Roy Hargrove is teamed with flute player
Steve Tavaglione for the most intriguing idea, combining the bass and piano underpinning of "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" under the lead line of "Maiden Voyage" and creating "Bedtime Voyage." The two songs fit beautifully in the same key. "Eye of the Hurricane" is rearranged, hinting at the original but incorporating some complex rhythm changes, with
Hargrove extrapolating on the original theme played by
Freddie Hubbard. "4 A.M." goes into alternating phases from funky to hard bop to staggered phrasings, a very busy and fun alteration.
McBride and
Watts are enjoying adapting these tunes they also deem precious, using pedal points, complex and driven rhythm devices on the elongated version of
Hancock's "One Finger Snap" that
Beasley has written as "Three Finger Snap." The project overall tends to lose momentum on the light funk of "Chan's Song," the ballad waltz written by
Wayne Shorter "Diana,"
Beasley's melodic original "Hear & Now,"
Hancock's "Still Time" and the reggae flavored "The Naked Camera." The pianist himself is a worthy foil for his acclaimed workmates, and in fact has never sounded better. More than up to the task, he is able to push and pull the bass and drums seemingly at will, and possesses impressive chops and witty ideas that flow throughout. This is a fledgling effort for the Resonance label of which
Beasley is a major contributor and an A&R man. This is a credible and laudable effort. ~ Michael G. Nastos