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Jonathan E. Fox wrote on May 11, 2009 report
Curtis Porter is much better know under the name he adopted: Shafi Hadi. Yes he is the Charles Mingus sideman. This is the only record where he plays outside of Mingus sides.
On this record he cuts Mobley tune after tune. This is the only Blue Note where this happens, including the John Gilmore-Clifford Jordan record, the Coltrane-Griffin-Mobley shootout, etc.. Bill Hardman does not play as well as I heard him live or on other records. -
Samuel Chell wrote on May 13, 2009 reportThis is the first I'd heard Porter apart from Mingus, and I'd agree that he comes close to stealing the show, especially when he puts aside his alto and comes at Hank on tenor (on "Bag's Groove," as I recall). Hank appears uninterested in taking the bait, sticking to an unforced lyricism all the way. Hardman toured with Blakey in 3 decades, yet there's little in his scant discography that really does him justice. His playing here is, as you say, unexceptional--"appropriate" enough but without a hint of the combative musician he could be in person. He was a lo-fi individual--until a Freddie would show up on the bandstand, trumpet in hand. Then Bill would dissect him with surgical precision. (Nice review, the distinctions among the frontline threesome succinctly but accurately represented. I paid heavy bucks for my 2005 Japanese copy. Sounds like the audio quality of this Music Matters edition blows it away--the CD edition is definitely lacking sonically. I just wonder how many other owners of working turntables lack 78 and 45rpm speeds.)
