Late in 2022, we covered the unearthed discovery, Elvin Jones’ Revival: Live at Pookie’s Pub, recorded in 1967 when Jones led a quartet that featured saxophonist Joe Farrell. In subsequent years Jones often featured a chordless trio that featured either Farrell, Dave Liebman, or Frank Foster. Yet, on this re-issue, Genesis, the third installment in the five-part partnership between The Third Man and Blue Note featuring Detroit artists, Jones gathers all three saxophonists together along with bassist Gene Perla for this exploratory recording that straddles the mainstream and the avant-garde with post-bop and modal compositions that move well beyond through-composed to adventurous improvisations.
Jones, of course, is his unbounded, frenetic self that listeners will recognize from his tenure with Coltrane. To be a bit more specific, all three of saxophonists play tenor with Farrell and Liebman also playing soprano at times while Foster occasionally plays the alto flute or alto clarinet. Recently we’ve heard the NEA Jazz Master Liebman say that all he wants to do for the remaining part of his career is “play free”. When listening to these tracks, we certainly realize that’s just what he and his colleagues were doing 42 years ago.
There are five compositions with Perla contributing “P.P Phoenix” and “For the Other Times.” Liebman with “Slumber,” Jones with “Three Card Molly” and Foster with “Cecilia Is Love.” Foster is the elder stateman here having played with Jones on the drummer’s 1961 Elvin! and is more recognizable than the other two with his different instruments. Liebman, very young at the time, went on to record five more albums with Jones. This date was preceded by a year Farrell’s work as a leader on CTI, where Jones reciprocated, appearing on Farrell’s 1971 Outback. Perla made another four records with Jones on Blue Note including with Liebman, 1973’s Live at the Lighthouse.
This is an unpredictable, oft-cinematic and mysterious set that runs the gamut from calm moments to furious intensity. The opener “P.P Phoenix” begins with Foster’s soothing alto flute, becoming more colorful as the other two saxophonists join on soprano to produce intriguing harmonics. While Jones is relatively restrained on that piece, he emphatically takes the intro on “For All the Other Times” as the three front liners intersperse their lines and before each engages in lengthy, aggressive tenor and soprano (likely Leibman) excursions, spurred on by Jones, who takes his own tornado-like bow shortly before the eight-minute mark. Liebman’s “Slumber” begins pensively with his tenor intro and becomes Coltrane-esque with Jones’ kit work and hard-edged blowing from his frontline partners.
Jones’ “Three Card Molly” is the most enduring tune here, rendered by several bands since and perhaps most notable by Jones’ quartet (Liebman, Perla, and saxophonist Steve Grossman) on 1975’s Mr. Thunder. This original version is essentially a free-blowing session for the three saxophonists, all on tenor, who fiercely attack throughout, together with potent fury from Jones, making this the most intense piece in the set, Foster chiming in with his alto clarinet toward the end of the piece to give it a somewhat melodic hue that carries over into the closer, Foster’s “Cecilia Is Love,” that features the most intriguing mingling of the three woodwinds as we hear the full arsenal of tenor, alto flute, and soprano, both blended and in fervent improvised solos with Jones supplying Latin tinged beats and Perla finally getting his say too.
When most of the jazz world was moving toward fusion, Jones and his quintet were still on an explorative acoustic sonic quest, an untamed but ultimately rewarding journey.
