''47th Street'' is an album by the American jazz trumpeter
Malachi Thompson
Malachi Richard Thompson (August 21, 1949, Princeton, Kentucky — July 16, 2006), was an American avant-garde jazz trumpet player. In addition to his own work as a bandleader, Thompson was known for his work in the brass ensemble led by fellow tr ...
, released by the Delmark label in 1998.Jazzlists: Delmark Records discography: 400/500 series accessed October 14, 2019 The album formed part of Thompson's efforts to revitalize the
Sutherland Hotel
The Sutherland Hotel, originally built to be the Cooper–Monatah Hotel, is a historic building in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Built as a high-end hotel, the Sutherland was commandeered by the US government as a military hospita ...
one of the last remaining links to the 47th Street Jazz Scene in Chicago.
Reception
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
reviewer Tim Sheridan stated that "Thompson's terrific ode to a unique time and place in African-American history is filled with exciting musical ideas while also remaining accessible". In ''
JazzTimes
''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store.
Coverage
After a decade of growth ...
'', Duck Baker observed: "He adapts his playing, with a minimum of fine tuning, to a gamut of styles from blues and swing to hard bop and free jazz. You could say that one hears the range and rambunctiousness of
Lester Bowie
Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Biography
Born in t ...
tempered with some of
Booker Little
Booker Little Jr. (April 2, 1938 – October 5, 1961) – accessed June 2010 was an American
’s purpose and lyricism. One hears Chicago, that’s for sure. The supporting cast, while too extensive to credit individually, is never less than excellent ... A proud statement by all concerned".Baker, D JazzTimes Review accessed October 28, 2019
Track listing
All Compositions BY Malachi Thompson except where noted
# "47th Street" – 7:16
# "Is It Not True Simply Because You Cannot Believe It?" (Billy Harper) – 7:56
# "X" (Joe Ford) – 4:43
# "C.J.'s Blues" – 5:07
# "Some Freebop for Monk" – 13:56
# "Miyako" (
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davi ...
) – 6:43
# "African Sun Dance" – 8:17
# " Mystery of Jaaz (Suite): Discovery, the House of Jaaz" – 3:33
# " Mystery of Jaaz (Suite): An Elevated Cry" – 8:07
# " Mystery of Jaaz (Suite): Lamentation and the Harmony of Yah" – 5:05
Personnel
*
Malachi Thompson
Malachi Richard Thompson (August 21, 1949, Princeton, Kentucky — July 16, 2006), was an American avant-garde jazz trumpet player. In addition to his own work as a bandleader, Thompson was known for his work in the brass ensemble led by fellow tr ...
– trumpet
*Steve Berry – trombone
* Joe Ford – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone (tracks 3, 4 & 7)
*
Billy Harper
Billy Harper (born January 17, 1943) is an American jazz saxophonist, "one of a generation of John Coltrane, Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument.Chris KelseyBilly Harper Biogr ...
,
Carter Jefferson
Carter Jefferson (1946 – 9 December 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Jefferson played clarinet and alto saxophone early in his career, playing in the backing bands for The Temptations, The Supremes, and Little Richard in the 1960s. ...
(tracks 3, 4 & 7), Ron Bridgewater (track 1) – tenor saxophone
*Kirk Brown – piano
*
Harrison Bankhead
Harrison Bankhead is an American jazz double-bassist.
Career
Bankhead became associated with the Chicago jazz scene in the early-1980s. Early in his career, he performed with Fred Anderson on tour and at Anderson's Chicago club, the Velvet Lo ...
Dana Hall
Dana Eric Hall (born July 8, 1969) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft. A 6'2", 206-lb. safety from the University of Washington, Hal ...
Dee Alexander
Deleatrice "Dee" Alexander is an American jazz singer. She is a member of the AACM and appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2013.
Alexander is the host of ''Sunday Jazz with Dee Alexander'', a radio show on WDCB and the WFMT Radio Network.
...
(tracks 1 & 10), Vocal Poynt: Mae Koen, Dianne Madison, Byron Woods and Dan Porter (tracks 1 & 10) – vocals