| Alto saxophonist Bunky Green is considered a legend among his peers, and he is finally stepping into the public eye after long years of relative obscurity. Born in 1935, he joined Charlie Mingus's group in 1960 and on moving to Chicago he went on to play with Andrew Hill, Louie Bellson, Yussef Lateef and Sonny Stitt. At the beginning of the 1970s, he decided to dedicate himself to education and since then has taught in Chicago and in Florida. Throughout his career, which is divided between education and the development of his music, he released fourteen albums in his name. Most of them are very rare and are coveted collector's items.
This new recording is produced by one of his faithful fans, saxophonist Steve Coleman, and he is backed by a group of musicians who have a profound mastery of their art: Jason Moran (Piano), Lonnie Plaxico (Bass) and Nasheet Waits (Percussion). You can sense the excitement they feel at working with someone whose influence on the history and vitality of jazz has been so extensive - the electricity on the album is palpable.
During the studio sessions in Brooklyn, everyone was taken aback by the freshness of the legendary saxophonist's sound, which has not suffered in the least from not being in the limelight. His mastery of the instrument is mind-blowing, and he emanates that energy and sense of risk that is the essence of jazz, making this youthful 70-year-old one of the freshest talents on the scene.
Recorded 2004 |