CLARK
TERRY with JEFF LINDBERG
and the CHICAGO JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Porgy & Bess
Americana
Music/A440 Music Group
George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
is a truly timeless piece of music, an American classic
that has provided fodder for countless jazz musicians. The
reasons why are clear: the music is beautiful, shot through
with blues influences, spans the entire range of human emotions,
and stands up to a variety of interpretations. Still, as
many versions of songs like “Summertime” and
“Bess, You is My Woman Now” as there are, few
would argue that there is a more definitive interpretation
of this music than that laid down by arranger Gil Evans
and trumpeter Miles Davis. Evans’ arrangements bring
out all the nuances in these tunes, from the blues-inflected
melodies to the subtler shades of shadow and light that
are portrayed in Gershwin’s music. Davis was a master
interpreter of songs, his horn rising plaintively above
the orchestra. So, one would wonder whether a recording
such as this, which features Jeff Lindberg and the Chicago
Jazz Orchestra performing the complete Evans score with
Clark Terry as soloist, is merely a retreading of something
that has been done to perfection before. The answer I would
give is that it is far from that and is a very worthwhile
recording in its own right.
Clark Terry, now 84, honed his considerable
trumpet and flugelhorn chops with the Duke Ellington orchestra,
joining that organization after learning to swing hard during
his tenure with Count Basie. Terry is the consummate musician:
a master of his instrument, a paragon of taste who has never
stopped challenging himself. Clearly the performing of this
music is a considerable challenge, not least of all because
of Terry’s advancing age (Davis was, of course, much
younger when he recorded these tunes). But Mr. Terry is
up to that challenge in large part because of the way he
can express a wide variety of emotion in his performances,
perhaps exhibiting a wider range than Miles himself was
able to. In addition, Terry’s mastery of the flugelhorn
stands him in good stead, as the instrument is perfect for
many of the more sultry numbers. Terry is easily able to
put his own stamp on this music, and that is a triumph for
any listener, whether familiar with the Miles/Evans version
or not.
From the opening notes of “Buzzard Song,”
one senses that this is going to be a top drawer performance.
The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Jeff
Lindberg, gives a letter-perfect performance of Gil Evans’
timeless orchestrations, providing a sumptuous backdrop
for Mr. Terry’s melodic readings and solos. Terry
runs the gamut of emotions here, from the longing of “Bess
You is My Woman Now” to the languid arch of “Summertime”
to the suffering and transcendence of “Prayer (Oh,
Doctor Jesus)”. Terry even delivers a brief bit of
his famous “Mumbles” scatting on “Here
Come De Honey Man.”
Most jazz is, of course, created on the spot,
in the moment, and therefore cannot be easily reinterpreted
the way classical compositions can. But Gil Evans’
classic arrangements practically beg to be performed by
living musicians, and the musical score of “Porgy
and Bess” is open to an endless variety of interpretations.
Here, a classic work comes to life again and is given a
fresh face by a master musician still at the peak of his
powers.
