Saudades [Live]

ECM have recently released 'Saudades' by the eminent jazz musicians Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield and Larry Goldings, calling themselves the Trio Beyond. This is a tribute to the late Tony Williams who preempted Miles Davis with the seminal jazz rock album 'Emergency'. The Trio Beyond (btw watch out the Trio of Doom recordings are about to be reissued with Tony Williams onside), feature Hammond/keys, guitar and drums and so would suggest some parallels with the original Lifetime line-up. So with that idea fixed in my head I admit some initial disappointment sampling the Lifetime tunes on `Saudades' double set, recorded last year in London. Lifetime's 'Turn It Over' and then later 'Emergency' were my introduction of jazz rock. Having heard the boot of Nels & Alex Cline with Wayne Peet doing a much more spontaneous tribute to Williams' Lifetime, recorded in a Californian nightclub soon after Williams' untimely death, I was here vigorously reminded of the shock of energy and the large slug of the unknown I first experienced in 1970. But 'Sausades' does not have that instant outflow of energy which gets the listener's adrenalin flowing. Indeed on a couple tunes, it was less about jazz rock and more mainstream (modern) post-bop - somewhat over-studied, somewhat stiff interpretations of Williams' compositions.(BTW there's a number of compositions here associated with but not written by Williams).

However, I have realised my immediate disappointment is because of false expectations, and a long delay between reading about the concert last autumn and having its recording to hear. So it has slowly dawned that these three experienced jazz musicians on the top of their game, would make their own stamp on and their own interpretation of the music. At that point I warmed to the music - not Lifetime's way of doing things, but in various number ways an alternative jazz rock fusion approach to some familiar pieces. Yes, in honesty I don't want to hear copies. Then when I discovered Scofield letting loose on a number of tunes, his playing/music hit the spot and the record had me - hey some of those oddly strange guitar and keyboard effects sneaked in and had teased me.

'Saudades' may not be quite the major event that the sticker on the CD box suggests - for me McLaughlin's 'Industrial Zen' and a sneak preview of Alex Machacek's '[Sic]' appeal more, while Soft Machine's 'Grides' provides the live energy - but it can be included amongst one of my favourite five jazz album so far for 2006.