A while back I picked up Mulgrew Miller's Work at the yearly Newberry Library book sale here in Chicago. It's worth a listen. Miller came on the scene in the 1980s with a piano sound that many compared to McCoy Tyner, and for good reason. It's definitely bop, but he delivers a light, open sound that rarely loses its strong melodic force. Personally, I prefer Miller's earlier Hand in Hand for its soulful horn and vibes arrangements that remind me of Lee Morgan (and not just because I saw David Weiss's excellent tribute to Morgan at the Chicago Jazz Festival a few weeks ago). But Work is solid as a trio album, as are most of the trio albums that became a force in the 80s. Great cover too!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Work
A while back I picked up Mulgrew Miller's Work at the yearly Newberry Library book sale here in Chicago. It's worth a listen. Miller came on the scene in the 1980s with a piano sound that many compared to McCoy Tyner, and for good reason. It's definitely bop, but he delivers a light, open sound that rarely loses its strong melodic force. Personally, I prefer Miller's earlier Hand in Hand for its soulful horn and vibes arrangements that remind me of Lee Morgan (and not just because I saw David Weiss's excellent tribute to Morgan at the Chicago Jazz Festival a few weeks ago). But Work is solid as a trio album, as are most of the trio albums that became a force in the 80s. Great cover too!
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