Herlin Riley - New Direction - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

On his second Criss Cross date, Herlin Riley, drummer with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra since 1992, assembles an all-star lineup from different eras of the band. The front line comprises Criss Cross veteran Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Victor Goines on saxes and clarinet, and Wynton Marsalis, Riley's employer since 1988, on trumpet, with bassist Reginald Veal and pianist Eric Lewis, the band's youngster, rounding out the group. The sound is New Orleans, modern, touching on the legacy of such original Crescent City thinkers as James Black, Alvin Batiste and Ellis Marsalis; the execution is replete with nuance and sublime grooves.

Individually, Jd Simo and Luther Dickinson are building their own legacies as solo artists, sidemen, songwriters, and guitar heroes. Together, they're a creative force to be reckoned with, making their own version of amplified American roots music. On the pair's first collaborative album, Do The Rump, the musicians trade blistering guitar solos, take turns at the microphone, and turn their classic influences - including hill country blues, spirituals, swamp rock, and Afrobeat - into something contemporary, reinterpreting a number of their old-school favorites into eclectic, electrifying anthems. The partnership began onstage, where Simo and Dickinson first shared the spotlight as touring members of Phil Lesh and Friends. Dickinson had already established himself as co-founder of the Grammy-winning duo North Mississippi Allstars, as well as a celebrated guitarist for acts like Black Crowes and John Hiatt. Similarly, Jd Simo had built an audience not only with his solo project, but also as a session musician for Jack White, Beyoncé, Chris Isaak, and Baz Luhrmann's Elvis movie. Occupying the same stage felt different, though. InchPlaying with Luther immediately felt as easy as water flowing down a river,Inch Simo remembers. InchWe had all the same influences but we played nothing alike. Our styles just fit together. We didn't have to think about it -it was just instinctual.Inch Those instincts take center stage on Do The Rump, whose eight songs were recorded at House of Grease, Simo's home studio in Nashville during a series of live-in-the-studio performances. There were no overdubs. No production tricks, either. Joined by drummer Adam Abarashoff - whose background in Afrobeat and jazz helped push Do The Rump's music into unexpected directions - the friends captured spontaneity in it's purest form, recording most of the songs during a single take, allowing a natural comb

Debut album from master New Orleans drummer who spent 5 years with Ahmad Jamal, 6 years with Wynton Marsalis Quintet, as well Marsalis' Lincoln Center Jazz Orch.; he's joined here by LCJO colleagues Ryan Kisor, Wycliffe Gordon, Victor Goines, Farid Barron & Rodney Whitaker.