Recorded live at a small New York City venue,
Revival: Live at Pookie's Pub
captures drummer
Elvin Jones
and his quartet in several sweaty, intensely delivered performances recorded over a three-day period in 1967. This was a year after
Jones
had left
John Coltrane
's storied quartet and launched his own influential group with tenor saxophonist/flutist
Joe Farrell
, who is featured prominently here. Joining them are pianist
Billy Greene
and bassist
Wilbur Little
, both regular members of
' ensembles in the late '60s. With his roiling, tidal wave-like drum style,
was easily one of the most distinctive and immediately recognizable players of his era. His playing was as much a defining aspect of the sound of '60s modal jazz and post-bop as
Coltrane
's. It's that vibe he carried forward with his own group, bringing along the advanced harmonic devices and kinetic group interplay he championed with
, as well as a passion for lyrical jazz standards, and originals that prefigured the funk and blues explorations of the '70s.
Farrell
is an absolute monster here, tearing his way through a 16-minute version of his angular blues "13 Avenue B." The band throw more fire on their off-the-cuff rendition of
Jimmy Heath
's "Gingerbread Boy" featuring
Larry Young
; the organist clearly showed up at the gig and it's fascinating to hear him apply his ringing organ chords to the piano. We also get a crackling takes on the
original "Keiko's Birthday March" (dedicated to his wife), composer
Ferde Grofe
's Western-themed "On the Trail" (the bar owner's favorite as
says), and a delicately rendered "My Funny Valentine" (marked by
's luminous flute). While the late-'60s post-bop aesthetic was often deeply intellectual,
could groove as he does on
Frank Foster
's "Raunchy Rita," a song he recorded a year prior with bassist
Richard Davis
on
Heavy Sounds
and which he pushes with a raw, dance club swagger here. ~ Matt Collar