The Great Divide in Bloomington, MN

Journeyman tenor saxophonist
Von Freeman
pays tribute to his first major influences
Coleman Hawkins
,
Lester Young
, and
Charlie Parker
on
The Great Divide
. Centered around
Freeman
's gorgeously blue, often skronky sax tone, the album works almost conceptually with
representing the divide between the cool vulnerability of
Young
, the muscular swing of
Hawkins
, and the cerebral hipness of
Parker
. This is a meaty, visceral album full of well-worn
standards
that nonetheless feels immediate and relevant. Now in his eighties,
-- utterly unique and obviously inspired -- still amazes with his mix of straight-ahead melodicism and avant-garde, sometimes off-kilter improvisation. He turns the Italian tenor perennial
"Be My Love"
into a sanguine and deliciously forlorn mid-tempo swinger. Similarly,
's swabs of rich blue and green tones on the
ballad
"This Is Always"
perfectly call to mind
's languid and way-behind-the-beat late-career recordings.
's originals also carry much weight here with
"Never Fear Jazz Is Here"
recalling the spirit of
via a burning harmalodic-esque melody, while
"Chant Time"
works as mantra to these ancients of
jazz
. The band -- to which you hear
speaking in a few brief and soulful moments -- includes pianist
Richard Wyands
, bassist
John Webber
, and drummer
Jimmy Cobb
. ~ Matt Collar