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John Temmerman - Live In Evanston—John's Mixed Bag
John Temmerman – Tenor & soprano sax
Neal Alger – Guitar
Steven Hashimoto – Bass
Rusty Jones – Drums (cuts 1-5)
Steve Magnone – Drums (cuts 6-11)
Steve Thomas – Trumpet (cuts 2 & 3)
Long time sax man John Temmerman has played the annual Evanston arts fest, Custer’s Last Stand, for some time. But just a couple of years ago, he happened into a serendipitous situation as his set started. The previous band was recording and their engineer asked if he’d like to keep the tape running. Sure! Temmerman told him. The result is a worthwhile summary of his live appearances in 2007 and 2008 at the event. A happy consequence, indeed!
Temmerman has a strong, tight band of top cats, which includes such notables as Neal Alger and Rusty Jones. All told, Live in Evanston––John’s Mixed Bag illustrates what can be accomplished when a group of solid individual players is brought together for an unrehearsed event. Jones’ work throughout the first five tracks, especially, makes an impression, giving the album that extra drive and making it more than the average listen to a run-through of tunes. Just hear his skillful work on the extended solo from the number, “Spooky.” Far from the type of percussionist who engages in wild and fancy moves simply to give you a cheap thrill, Jones is instead exploring what a master of the instrument can do musically.
Temmerman himself shows his chops at the outset with some great solo work on the opening track, “Plan B Downsized” (an old song of his own pen), and then gets going hard on the second cut, Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie.” This track also includes a hot solo by trumpeter Steve Thomas. Following is “Blue Moon,” where a depth is created, as each musician is seriously connected and involved with, and adding something to, the interplay.
Amidst its standards, the album includes several Temmerman compositions, a trio of them placed at the center of the album: “An Aging Dream,” which provides a chance for Temmerman and Alger to break out and trade over extended passages; a blues, “Sooner or Later”; and “Fundamental Dreamer,” which gives Temmerman an opportunity to stretch out a bit in his solo. They then return to more typical standards with “Norwegian Wood,” “Freedom Jazz Dance” and “Stolen Moments,” though when Temmerman cuts loose he turns them into much more than standard fare, making twists and turns that spice up the tunes.
On these latter tracks, percussion duties are taken by Steve Magnone, who keeps the groove going and makes a fine showing of his own hard driving beat––a good complement to Jones’ drumming of the early cuts. Bassist Steven Hashimoto gets a chance to stand out a bit from the backseat he accepts through most of the album when he’s given a solo and some bars at the beginning of “Freedom Jazz Dance.” Yet the crowning highlight of the CD is Alger. As good as the band and other soloists are, he really does steal the show. His constant flowing thoughtfulness is just stunning. One doesn’t easily anticipate where he’ll go, and after a while one just sits back to listen and appreciate.
The collection concludes with a soulful “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” which opens with Temmerman slowly stating the theme before everyone else joins in for a swinging celebration. Overall, a very finely done, well rounded disk. Long may their annual reign in Evanston continue!
By: Tim Gault
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