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1.
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YOU'D BE SO NICE TO COME HOME TO
(C.Porter) - Listen
To Sample |
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2.
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PUNKIN JUICE (C.I.Williams) |
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3.
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'ROUND MIDNIGHT (T.Monk, C.Williams,
D.Hanighen) - Listen
To Sample |
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4.
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CATFISH SAMMICH (C.I.Williams)
- Listen
To Full Song |
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5.
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MISTY (E.Garner) |
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6.
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LOVER MAN (S.Jones,
R.Ramirez, J.E.Davis) |
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7.
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BECAUSE OF YOU (A.Havverstein,
D.Wilkinson) |
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8.
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JEEP'S BLUES* (C.I.Williams) |
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9.
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I'LL CLOSE MY EYES*
(B.Kaye, W.G.Reid) |
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10.
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AVALON (R.B.Evans,
J.Livingston) |
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11.
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PRECIOUS LORD (T.Dorsey) |
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*Donald Blackman-Piano
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Jazziz - Traditions:
reviewed by Larry Blumenfeld
Heard of C.I. Williams? Neither had I. Saxophonist Hamiet
Bluiett calls him "the missing link between Johnny Hodges, Benny
Carter, and Charlie Parker." Maybe so. At the least, he's helped
reinforce an important musical chain. When Alto Was King
(Mapleshade) highlights this fact well. But make no mistake: The
album's no throwback, no stale recreation.
To ensure that, session producer Bluiett (who has kept track
of Williams since the '50s) hired bassist Keter Betts and
drummer Jimmy Cobb, whose respective rŽsumŽs include a
substantial telling of middle-period jazz history. So, amid bass-drum
kicks with an oomph that you rarely hear anymore, and deep, rich,
tugging bass lines, Williams' also sings its way into the heart
of 11 well-plotted selections. On well-worn tunes like Round
Midnight and Lover Man, Williams' filmy tone and subtle vibrato
is charming and utterly convincing. Better still are the saxophonist's
originals, all of which bear a relentless bluesiness, without
dipping into tried-and-true riffs.
JazzTimes:
reviewed by Willard Jenkins
Yet another chapter in Hamiet Bluiett's Explorations
series of productions, which often seek to set the record
straight on what the outspoken bari man views as under-recognized
artists, this date by C. I. Williams goes a distance
in doing just that for a neglected master of the alto sax.
Mr. Williams has a buttery tone that is delivered with authority
and the veteran's sense of relaxed swing. His tone bending,
for example, is done very subtly and with a knowingness that
never announces the arrival of the next bended note. He plays
it with a liquidity and fluid sense of phrasing that makes
every piece a study in elegance. The evidence starts right
from the opening gate, traveling through his storytelling
blues Punkin' Juice; he literally owns Jeep's Blues
and check his gorgeous opening cadenza on I'll Close My
Eyes. Avalon is delivered in duo with C. I.'s contemporary
Keter Betts on bass, and Precious Lord is stripped
to the bare alto essentials. Accompaniment also includes pianists
Larry Willis and Donald Blackman, drummer Jimmy
Cobb, and guitarist Ed Cherry.
February 1998
Cadence:
reviewed by Jon Morgan
The notoriety surrounding C.I. Williams is that
of a musician's musician, known and respected by fellow
players but overlooked by the music press. Hamiet Bluiett
has attempted to remedy the situation, for, as curator for
Mapleshade, he handpicked the lineup on the recording. Demanding
immediate attention is Williams' tone and phrasing, fitting
comfortably between the styles of John Handy and Johnny
Hodges, meaning he can either play a blues that would silence
a room, or turn on the jets for an old fashioned bop barnstormer.
Not coincidentally, Williams turns Hodges' staple Jeep's
Blues into a wanton blues, complete with a cocky swagger
in his phrasing. Williams also sounds equally at home on
the upbeat swingers such as his own danceable blues Catfish
Sammich, where the leader dryly uncoils some fluid lines,
or the first four minutes of Round Midnight, which
spotlights the intricate duo of Willis' reflective piano
and Williams' stellar vibrato. Most moving is, perhaps,
the solo alto Precious Lord, where Williams' career
is densely packed into three minutes. Capturing the soul
of the altoist with his heartfelt cries and exclamations
echoing the human voice, the final tune seems to be saying
"and to think, you've passed me by all of these years."
January 1998
All About Jazz:
reviewed by Joel Roberts
If you don't know the name C.I. Williams, you're not alone. Although the journeyman alto saxophonist has played in the bands of people like Frank Foster, Clark Terry, and Ruth Brown since the early '50s, he has only a few solo albums to his credit and none in the past twenty-five years. This outstanding new album on Mapleshade should, however, earn him some long overdue attention.
Hamiet Bluiett, the album's producer, calls Williams “the missing link between Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, and Charlie Parker.” While that is surely an overstatement — for all his talents, Williams is not a remarkably original player — he does combine some of the best attributes of this trio of alto giants. Essentially a swing player with deep roots in the blues, Williams draws on Carter for his elegance and casual sophistication, and on Bird for his bluesiness and blazing speed.
Most of all, though, for the sheer beauty of his rich, languorous tone, he reminds me of Hodges. This is most evident on a handful of straight-out blues tunes, including two Williams originals and the Ellington / Hodges classic “Jeep's Blues.” Williams plays the blues with great emotion and mines every note for its full dramatic impact. Here, as with Hodges, and tenor greats like Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster, it is his sound that is key.
Williams receives excellent support from a veteran rhythm section including Keter Betts on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, Ed Cherry on guitar, and Larry Willis on piano. Although the song selection skews towards the too familiar — “Misty,” “Round Midnight,” “Lover Man,” “You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To” — this album is a fitting showcase for Williams' superb alto talents. Hopefully, we won't have to wait so long to hear from him again.
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