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Luther Hughes & The Cannonball-Coltrane Project – Things
Are Getting Better – Primrose Lane Music
"Things Are Getting Better" is a great album of straight
ahead jazz."
by Tim Taylor
AUDIOPHILE
AUDITION! - Jan 10, 2011
Luther Hughes & The Cannonball-Coltrane Project – Things
Are Getting Better – Primrose Lane Music PLM -014, 68:25 *****:
(Luther Hughes – leader & bass; Glenn Cashman – tenor
sax; Bruce Babad – alto sax; Ed Czach – piano; Paul Kreibich –drums & Percussion)
Acoustic bassist Luther Hughes received his training at the University of Cincinnati’s
College Conservatory of Music and Long Beach City College. He has a bachelor’s
degree from Cal State Long Beach. Luther taught at Cal State Long Beach,
Golden West College and the Musicians Institute. He teaches at Saddleback
College and Cal State Fullerton. He began his career in music in the 1960’s. Luther
plays both electric and acoustic bass. His career over the years has him
playing with many of the top names of jazz such as Gene Harris, Mundell Lowe,
Joe Henderson, Carmen MacRae, Willie Bobo, Horace Silver, Joe Pass, Ernestine
Anderson and so many more. He has performed on the Tonight Show with Johnny
Carson, and appeared in several episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine. He
is a session bassist for TV, records, movies and more. Luther has hosted
2 radio programs on KKJZ FM 88.1 (formerly known as KLON) in Long Beach, California.
The Cannonball-Coltrane Project (CCP) was an idea born from Luther listening
to the LP “The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago”. It
was the only time Cannonball and Coltrane appeared together except with Miles
Davis. The group evolved into paying tribute to Cannonball and Coltrane
and went further to write and arrange music with the inspiration from them and
the directions they took in jazz. Luther went about putting together an
ensemble that gave their first performance in Southern California in 2002 and
were a hit with the audience. The group has released four CDs and a DVD
concert since 2005 and indicates they feel it is their best work. I became
acquainted with their first album when they interviewed on air at the jazz radio
station in Portland, Oregon just after its release at the time they made an appearance
at “The Cave” in Portland.
Things Are Getting Better is a great album of straight
ahead jazz. CCP has captured the Cannonball-Coltrane sound without being
just another copycat group. They swing and groove through these tracks
in a manner that is joyous and brilliant. Five of the tracks are well
known standards associated with Cannonball and Coltrane. The other seven
tracks are composed and arranged by various members of CCP in a style consistent
with the Cannonball-Coltrane sound. I was immediately sitting up and
smiling at their treatment of “Jazz Samba” (Nat Adderley composer)
giving it a five star “Wow”. It was arranged by Luther. The
two saxes work their way through the whole album playing off each other and
are a dream to hear harmonizing and unison playing. The whole group plays
tight and right on.
“Glo in the Dark” is a lyrical, beautiful waltz. “McCoy” is
a tribute to McCoy Tyner who was a pianist with John Coltrane. “Primrose
Star” is a ballad-like slow tune composed and arranged by Bruce Babad featuring
him on alto sax. “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” was a tune
recorded by Cannonball. “Sunset at Hermosa” is a tribute samba
to the sun setting at Hermosa Beach, California where CCP plays often at The
Lighthouse Café. “Blue Daniel” was composed by Frank
Rosolino and was recorded by Cannonball on his album “Live at the Lighthouse”. “Samba
Para Um Dia Chuvoso” has a cuica at the beginning and drummer Paul Kreibich
shows great support with his latin percussion. “Trane and Wayne “is
a tribute to Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. Another Cannonball composition “Things
are Getting Better” swings nicely. The album finishes off with Duke
Ellington’s “Take the Coltrane” reminiscent of the tune recorded
by the Duke and John Coltrane.
Things are Getting Better swings, is lyrical and an
outstanding album from five musicians who know jazz from top to bottom. The
sound is great. The liner notes are actually song notes contributed by
all the members of CCP. Their website is www.cannonballcoltraneproject.com
for a lot of great information on this group.
TrackList: Jive Samba; Glo in the Dark; McCoy;
Primrose Star; Softly as in a Morning Sunrise; Sunset at Hermosa; Blue Daniel;
Samba Para Um Dia Chuvoso; Trane and Wayne; Things are Getting Better; Green
Bananas; Take the Coltrane
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