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Rich Halley 3: The Literature
ByInfluences aside, Halley has his own sound and particularly-focused initiatives that have manifested themselves in recordings that speak to the artist's values. He is a staunch advocate for the environmentand nature in generalwith a Master's degree in Biology; album titles such as Song of the Backlands (Avocet, 1985), Coyotes in the City Louie, 2001) and Mountains and Plains (Louie, 2005) wear the cause on their album sleeves. But Halley's interests are not static as heard on the esoteric Children of the Blue Supermarket (2011), with the poet Dan Raphael, and the free-wheeling avant-garde of The Outlier (2016) both on his own Pine Eagle Records.
The Literature offers Halley's take on a dozen well-known, and not so well-known, works of notable composers. Included are many go-to legends such as Miles Davis, Mingus, Monk, and Coleman, but Halley is not confined by jazz as he includes country legends Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and the Carter Family. Regardless of genre-of-origin, Halley treats each piece with his muscular style, adding brawn to Blind Willie Johnson's blues classic "Motherless Children" andwith Reed's contributiondepth to Rodgers' "High Powered Mama." Full, rounded complexity is the methodology for Monk's "Misterioso" where drums and bass provide astounding rhythmic work. Both Halleys and Reed are at their freest on Coleman's "Law Years," and the stratified style of Monk's "Brilliant Corners."
Halley has never quite reached the level of recognition that he deserves. His beefy sound is not without significant nuance, when appropriate, and his playing is happily unpredictable, with improvisations that stay just within the boundaries of accessibility. The cover-connections rendered on The Literature should open the saxophonist to new ears by way of some old names.
Track Listing
Little Willie Leaps; Misterioso; Chano Pozo; Broad Way Blues; High Powered Mama; Mood Indigo; Brilliant Corners; Motherless Child; Pussy Cat Dues; Kingdom Of Not; Someday You'll Call My Name; Law Years.
Personnel
Rich Halley
saxophone, tenorRich Halley: tenor saxophone, clapping; Clyde Reed: bass; Carson Halley: drums, clapping.
Album information
Title: The Literature | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Pine Eagle Records
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About Rich Halley
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
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