The Hammond organ is inextricably tied to its soul jazz origins, in some respects to a fault. Few are the players who opt to apply it to settings outside the well-entrenched norms. New Yorker Gary Versace is one who’s swiftly been making inroads into advancing the B3’s versatility and scope. The title of his second Steeplechase album as a leader distills his intentions down to a germane catch phrase. A nine piece program comprised as four standards and five originals provides the open-ended itinerary for Versace’s streamlined trio. It also helps with mileage having Chicago saxophone legend Dick Oatts and all-purpose drummer Matt Wilson on hand as road-worthy sidemen.
Versace began his professional career as a postbop pianist and that particular sensibility informs his broad-minded approach at the Hammond. Perpetual Steeplechase scribe Mark Gardner posits a strong parallel to Shirley Scott, but I hear an even greater parity in John Patton. Versace has a comparably attuned harmonic sense coupled with a canny command of rhythm. In addition, his slippery tone exudes a similar cerulean warmth and plasticity. The voluptuous bass line that introduces an unexpectedly lush arrangement of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” sounds right out of a Patton bag. Versace expands the line into swirling comping style that cushions and responds to Oatts’ easygoing alto lead.
One of the most appealing aspects of the trio is its willingness to trade away the usual testosterone and bluster of organ configurations for an abiding cerebral sensitivity and depth. Oatts is a quiet marvel on tenor, alto and soprano, his trio of horns further echoing the diversity promised by the disc’s title. “16 by 12” finds his sure-footed tenor tussling with Versace on the robust blues head and later spreading out into a sensual solo parsed by soaring cries and guttural lows. Wilson adopts a model attitude of responsiveness, propelling the trio with a muscular stroke when needed, but perfectly willing to switch to brushes and dulcet cymbal accents when the occasion calls, as on the Versace ballad “Seen From Above.”
The title track works off another fleshy bass figure and once again shows off Wilson’s mutability as he changes from clip-clopping stick canter to a stronger propulsive push powered by snare shots and press rolls. Some in the pocket interplay between organ and drums opens the way for a lyrical Oatts coda. Also worth mention is Oatts’ sleek soprano work on “Home” and Wilson’s muted Latin rhythms on the slinky “One Year from Today.” At nearly seventy minutes, the disc still doesn’t feel overlong.
In much the same way that my gullet often craves a glistening rack of baby back ribs, my ears regularly demand a listening repast of unctuous organ grooves. In other words, I’m all for indulging in the instrument’s usual and time-honored recipes stressing funk and soul. But Versace offers a markedly different stylistic direction akin to the offbeat fusion dishes served at that new hip bistro down the street, pleasing both palate-wise and from a fresh aesthetic standpoint.
~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on June 9, 2006 1:29 PM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................