Marchel Ivery: Marchel Ivery 3

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

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Published: April 1, 2000

Trio con carne. This eight song disc is divided in half, each half illustrating a different piece of Tenor Sax history. The first four pieces are performed by a standard organ-tenor trio with the irrepressible Joey DeFrancesco on the Hammond B3. The second half is the standard tenor trio as pioneered by Sonny Rollins on such recordings as Way Out West and Live At The Village Vanguard. Marchel Ivery has a tone more narrow and drier than that of Rollins, but there is still plenty of meat to it. “East Of The Sun” and “Three Coins In The Fountain” are walking pieces with DeFrancesco leading the rhythm way. “Portrait of Jenny” shows Ivery equally adept on ballads as he is on the up-tempo pieces.

Always demanding, the tenor trio, when approached carefully, will pay off with great rewards. Ivery’s tenor trio pieces are fun. “Will You Still Be Mine” is a rave up with some slick drumming by Andrew Griffith. The ballad “You Don’t Know What Love Is” is deftly cooed through the trio’s prism. Ivery’s own “Snake Charmer” is silky North African. “Another Trane Thing” is Ivery’s tribute to that tenor leader. A very enjoyable Tenor Set.

Track Listing: East Of The Sun; Portrait Of Jenny; Three Coins In The Fountain; Stairway To The Stars; Will You Still Be Mine; You Don

Personnel: Marchel Ivery: Tenor Saxophone; Joey Defrancesco: Organ; G.T. Hogan: Drums; Lyles West: Bass; Andrew Griffiths: Drums.

Record Label: Leaning House
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream