Mark Sherman on the cover of his new album (from the Amazon.com Web page)
This week began with the digital release of an album entitled Bop Contest with plans for a “physical release” this coming Friday. Amazon.com has already created the Web page for digital download, and presumably that Web page will be updated at the end of the week. This is a jazz quintet album led by Mark Sherman on vibraphone. Two of the tracks feature Joe Magnarelli alternating between trumpet and flugelhorn. Rhythm will be led by “iconic” (in the words of the press advance) bassist Ron Carter, joined by Donald Vega on piano and drummer Carl Allen.
I was delighted to encounter this album as evidence that are still jazz musicians sailing under the flag of straight-ahead bebop. Of course that includes time well spent listening to Carter’s improvisations. However, taken as a whole, the group is a well-organized one with a generous diversity of invention. I was more interested, however, in Sherman’s decision to include two Cedar Walton tracks, “Bremond’s Blues” and “Martha’s Prize,” both of which were new to me. Indeed, the only track that was not new to me was the last one, Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark.” (Just to pick a nit, the back of the album also credits Johnny Mercer. However, he wrote the lyrics; and this was an instrumental album!)
Sherman’s career began in the Seventies when he was still a teenager. Bop Contest is his 22nd recording as leader. I feel a little sheepish in confessing that this new album was a “first contact” experience. Hopefully, I shall find a way to make up for lost time!
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