Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Greg Ward & 10 Tongues: Touch My Beloved's Thought

12

Greg Ward & 10 Tongues: Touch My Beloved's Thought

By

Sign in to view read count
Greg Ward & 10 Tongues: Touch My Beloved's Thought
To describe saxophonist Greg Ward's Touch My Beloved's Thought as his magnum opus is to impede his development as a composer. Let's just say for many a jazz artist, if this recording were included in their discography, it would be their signature piece. For Ward, it just represents the possibilities.

The backstory to this live recording is Charles Mingus' The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (Impulse!, 1963), a six-part composition written for dancers. Ward was commissioned to fashion a piece of music in collaboration with choreographer Onye Ozuzu to commemorate Mingus' efforts. Instead of producing a snide Mostly Other People Do the Killing knockoff à la Blue (Hot Cup, 2014), Ward chose to stand on the shoulders of giants and make music for the 21st century. 

If Ward is chasing Mingus here, then he is also pursuing the music of Duke Ellington, a band leader Mingus aspired to emulate. Just as Duke and Mingus wrote music for particular players, Ward's compositions here favor his soloists. The music opens with "Daybreak," a blending of all parts of his 10 Tongues large ensemble. He breaks free with a soaring alto solo halfway through. His tone, which is often employed by drummer Mike Reed's People, Places, & Things ensemble, is delivered in full service to the music. Just as Rudresh Mahanthappa's Bird Calls (ACT, 2015) used almost imperceptible fragments of Charlie Parker's music, Ward takes pieces and parts of Mingus' Black Saint to build anew here. His nine pieces are part on one long composition, pausing only for the audience's applause. 

Of note is Ward's integration of his soloists, pianist Dennis Luxion on "Singular Serenade," Norman Palm's trombone "With All Your Sorrow, Sing A Song Of Jubilance" and Keefe Jackson's baritone on "Grit." "Dialogue Of The Black Saint" opens with Jason Roebke's bass solo, before horn shouts fall into Russ Johnson's trumpet plunger blues. The music, like Mingus and Ellington before him, is folk/dance music, be it blues, gospel, Latin, march, hip-hop, or flamenco, it's all good.

Track Listing

Daybreak; Singular Serenade; The Menacing Lean; Smash, Push, Pull, Crash; With All Your Sorrow, Sing A Song Of Jubilance; Grit; Round 3; Dialogue Of The Black Saint; Gather Round, The Revolution Is At Hand.

Personnel

Greg Ward
saxophone

Greg Ward: alto saxophone, compositions; Tim Haldeman: tenor saxophone; Keefe Jackson: tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone; Ben LaMarGuy: cornet; Russ Johnson: trumpet; Norman Palm: trombone; Christopher Davis: bass trombone; Dennis Luxion: piano; Jason Roebke: bass; Marcus Evans: drums.

Album information

Title: Touch My Beloved's Thought | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Greenleaf Music

Comments

Tags

Concerts


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.