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Downbeat:
reviewed by Herb Boyd
In the mid-70s, when trombonist Dave Bargeron and pianist
Larry Willis were mainstays of the soul group Blood, Sweat
& Tears, they expressed skills that seemed to reach beyond the genre.
Those inclinations are fully realized on this reunion jazz date,
and right away Bargeron presents his formidable chops on the opening
tune, attacking Gussie Blues with a delightful, punchy assertiveness.
Then, with the gusto subdued, Bargeron is sweet and lively on
Holly’s Song, investing the tender ballad with the full
range of tonal colors. Willis coaxes the rhythm section gently in
and around the trombone’s gilded notes, providing additional
mood and nuance. B.R.A.V.O. and Evanrude, two more Bargeron
originals, spin by without notice, but Willis’ Children
Of Harlem is an expressive, sonata-like composition with enough
juice for the entire quartet, and each has his moment before they
resume cobbling a most dramatic performance. Bassist Steve Novosel
and drummer Kenwood Dennard, with feathery brush strokes,
establish a bright, optimistic scene that becomes even more playful
when Bargeron and Willis add their images of young girls double-dutch
jumproping and boys chasing each other in a game of tag. But when
Dennard’s drums suddenly rumble, the conflict enters and Bargeron’s
quick stabbing sound signals chaos, agitation; Willis tightens the
chords and we have all the tension of an urban setting about to
explode. However, things simmer down and there is a return to the
calm of the opening motif.
This is worth the price of admission. Although Bargeron’s
kazooish final note on There Is No Greater Love commands
at least a small gratuity.
December 1995
Modern Drummer:
reviewed by Jeff Potter
Big-toned Dave “Barge” Bargeron
has recorded with artists from Miles Davis to Mick Jagger. As
a hired-gun trombonist he’s a busy man in New York as well
as one of the handful of bottom-Buddhas who can swing a tuba.
Barge’s range and speed can be startling, but there’s
no showboating; it’s his soulful sound and lucid ideas that
make the music. And his ballad playing is downright gorgeous.
A long overdue disc, this first solo effort also illuminates his
fine composing skills.
Since their days together with Gil Evans and Jaco,
Barge and Kenwood Dennard have enjoyed an ongoing musical
brotherhood. By choice, the recording process for this session
was defiantly low-tech, allowing a raw, spontaneous club gig sound
and feel. This is a great setting to hear Kenwood rip with a straight-ahead
quartet. Listen to how he digs in on the uptemps bopper B.R.A.V.O.
with a fierce last-day-on-earth drive, elegantly ushers Holly’s
Song through an extra-slow tempo, and injects hip Latin grooves
into Mexicali Pose. Although listeners can check out Kenwood
on an increasing number of high-profile discs, this session truly
captures the sweat flying off his sticks.
January 1996
Cadence:
reviewed by David Dupont
(excerpted from a split review with Bob Brookmeyer’s Paris
Suite)
Dave Bargeron and Bob Brookmeyer represent
different generations of creative musicians who have also found
homes as studio players. Brookmeyer, of course, has had a higher
profile as an improviser dating to his days with Gerry Mulligan.
Bargeron, if he’s known at all, is from his longtime gig
with the Jazz pop group, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, where he first
played with co-star and co-producer Larry Willis. Brookmeyer’s
and Bargeron’s approaches also reflect the different times
in which they came up: Brookmeyer essays with a cool, muffled,
yet full sound; Bargeron has a raucous edge to his fat tone
that befits Jazz-rock.
Indeed, Bargeron’s gruff, even rough style
sets him off from most of his tromboning contemporaries as well.
He revels in the horn’s potential for boisterousness, recalling
even Ros Rudd at times. On the ballads, his own Holly’s
Song and Willis’ Children of Harlem, he displays
a thick, almost overripe sound, colored by a heavy vibrato.
But for all his high-spirited playing, he always displays technical
control. He has chops galore. Listen to the way he pops a clear,
in tune, triple high C at the end of There Is No Greater
Love. He never tries to tame his horn the way so many trombone
players seem intent on doing, yet he executes long, multi-note
lines. For these he uses his own invention (echoes of tinkerer
Jack Teagarden) the B.R.A.V.O. (Bargeron Rapid Articulating
Valve Option). Essentially the device is a modified mouthpiece
with a simple valve to briefly cut off the air flow. Frankly,
I’m not sure if I would have known anything other than
his tongue was in play if I had not read the liner notes. Knowing
he’s using it, I can detect a somewhat more clipped sound
on some runs. Still, as with his prodigious technique, the device
is always used musically.
That musical effect is greatly enhanced by his
cohorts. They support Bargeron without trying to match his boisterousness,
allowing the leader to be the life of the party. And clearly
a good time was had by all, including those who only participate
by listening to this session.
April 1996
Stereophile:
from QuarterNotes by Wes Phillips
Dave Bargeron, formerly trombonist for
Blood, Sweat & Tears, turns in an intense set of originals
leavened with two contributions from pianist Willis
and the standard There’s No Greater Love. My favorite
moment is Holly’s Song, an 8 1/2 -minute love
letter to his wife Ü the impassioned trombone anchored by
an introspective piano must surely reflect the relationship
itself. Sonically, it’s what we’ve come to expect
from Sprey Ü vibrant and realistic, with startling directness.
Since this is a trombone recording, it must lapse into rude
noises occasionally in order to sound authentic. It does;
you’ll want to turn to Bargeron periodically and demand,
Excuse yourself!
December 1995
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