The Montreal Tapes

Album Review

Recorded on the opening night of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal as part of an eight-concert series paying tribute to Charlie Haden. While the other evenings all featured stellar musicians and wonderful collaborations, this one is special because it features Haden in a trio of players not usually associated with him: drummer Al Foster — fresh from Miles Davis' band, and the late tenor giant Joe Henderson. In fact, Haden has subtitled the set, "Tribute to Joe Henderson." There are four extended tunes on the set, the shortest of which is the opener, a gorgeous, wide open rendering of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight," on which Henderson begins to display some of the same modal soloing traits he employed on his Blue Note recordings Mode for Joe, and Inner Urge. As if this weren't enough, the trio ranges from the lyrically and harmonically sublime reinvention of Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are," to a wildly adventurous free jazz ride on Haden's "In the Moment" — which begins like a classic bop tune and then forgoes all changes and time signatures in favor of pure improvisation — to a 20-minute blastoff take on Charlie Parker's "Passport" to close the set. There is no lack of intensity or concentration, no mere going-through-the-motions here. This set is a powerful testament to the inherent musical communication of swing between three fine principals, and one of the best live trio dates issued in years.