Borah Bergman Kidd Jordan William Parker Michael Wimberly vita brevis

Description: vita brevis -- Borah Bergman's last recording session, from June 10, 2011. The preeminent jazz/avant-garde pianist in a rare quartet format with fellow giants Kidd Jordan, William Parker and Michael Wimberly on tenor sax, bass and drums, respectively. An intense, exceptional session for the demanding music listener. USA shipping Absolutely Free. International buyers pay actual first class postage. From Cadence Magazine: The lofty reputations of Borah Bergman and Kidd Jordan precede this recording, a dream team in many respects. As high level improvisers, the pianist and tenor saxophonist are expected to go far beyond what their fans should hear, and happily they are at the very top of their game. These are all extended pieces which demand extra special wide attention spans. “Chasin’ Another Train (Of Thought)” and the title track form the core of this CD as back-to-back tracks in supercharged free bop excursions. It’s what you expect from these pros - hard charging music on the edge, and unstoppable. Bergman and Jordan are known for few breath marks or tacit moments, but those of you who know these blowers might be taken aback by the tender early moments on “When Autumn Comes,” before the quartet revs up again. William Parker is stellar as usual, while Michael Wimberly gets the job done, more than up to the task. Jordan is very willing to let Bergman set the pace so he can dig in his heels and play thoroughly original, furrowed brow lines, honks and deep voicings. Of course, Bergman’s originality is beyond reproach, always rivaling peers like Cecil Taylor, Martial Solal and Burton Greene, or younger lions Matthew Shipp and Craig Taborn. As much as these four have top drawer pedigrees, this recording lifts them to an even higher plateau. There’s no doubt as to their prowess individually, but together, they really hit home runs left and right. Vita Brevis should be in Top Ten lists for New Jazz of 2013. –Michael G. Nastos From Offbeat:It’s hard to believe that albums featuring Kidd Jordan used to be rare occurrences and difficult finds. This month, there are not one, but two, records that feature his stellar playing. This one, with his constant partner William Parker on bass and Michael Wimberly on drums, is the last session from leader and pianist Borah Bergman. Here, the creative interplay between Jordan and Bergman results in a great range of dynamics and textures throughout the record. Bergman’s piano technique, for which he was justly famous, is excellent here. Its closest comparison is Cecil Taylor, but he uses more single note runs and less clusters. He also sticks to playing the keys and notes instead of playing the piano strings and other inside parts of the piano. Kidd’s phrasing here tends to use fewer notes, and those fewer notes take longer to build into the longer passages. One of the best parts of this album is that there are quieter and relaxed passages complete with beautiful piano solos and moments where the whole band jells rather than competes. I love the crazy, ecstatic blowfests that Kidd plays like no one else on the planet, but here, he, Bergman, Parker and Wimberly dial it down and play shorter, less-wild riffs and exchanges than usually found in creative music. It’s refreshing and makes this recording no less artistic and beautiful—but it does make it a little more accessible. Review by David Kunian From New York City Jazz Record:It cannot but be stated at the outset that vita brevis is (or at least purports to be) the last recording made by pianist Borah Bergman, who died in 2012 at the age of 85. A dexterous and inventive pianist whose improvisations ran easily from thick, blocky clusters to beautifully delicate melody lines, Bergman persevered to only occasional acclaim - rare enough that to call this release a “swan song” would seem a bit grand. The studio session was laid down 16 months before his death so it was doubtfully seen as a final statement. It is, however, good reason to listen anew. The quartet (saxophonist Kidd Jordan, bassist William Parker and drummer Michael Wimberly) kicks off with a midtempo freeblow, before making its way into a lovely, lyrical ballad, Bergman’s “When Autumn Comes”. They continue apace for another Bergman composition and then a Jordan piece, exhibiting the hive mind interplay that often comes only with age. The album concludes with a ten-minute soundcheck, the only headless jam of the set. The audio isn’t as clean and under other circumstances a complaint might be lobbied that it doesn’t add anything, but as a part of a final document it’s worth including. Another bit of this small goodbye is worth mentioning and that’s producer Joe Chonto’s liner notes. Written after Bergman’s death, the short essay provides a loving and candid look at the driven and cantankerous pianist. - Kurt Gottschalk

Price: 11.99 USD

Location: Davenport, Iowa

End Time: 2024-02-05T00:41:16.000Z

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