''Inner Cry Blues'' is an album by trombonist and composer

Grachan Moncur III Grachan Moncur III (June 3, 1937 – June 3, 2022) was an American jazz trombonist. He was the son of jazz bassist Grachan Moncur II and the nephew of jazz saxophonist Al Cooper. Biography Born in New York City, United States, (his paternal gran ...

. It was recorded in February 2007, and was released by Lunar Module Records later that year. On the album, Moncur is accompanied by saxophonist Mitch Marcus, trumpeter

Erik Jekabson Erik Jekabson (born March 23, 1973) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player, and vibraphonist. A Bay Area-based musician, he is known for the jazz group The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, which he leads. He is also a composer and arranger ...

, vibraphonist Ben Adams, bassist Lukas Vesely, and drummer Sameer Gupta. Issued three years after ''

Exploration Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

'', it was Moncur's second album following a lengthy hiatus, during which he wrote, taught, and dealt with dental issues. Four of the six tracks are dedicated to major jazz figures: "G Train" to

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

, "A for Pops" to

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

, "Blue Rondo" to Jackie McLean, and "Sonny's Back!" to

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

Reception

In a review for

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 ...

, Thom Jurek wrote: "This is one of those Moncur dates that walks... the inside line of post-bop and modal jazz... But the sense of space, color, and texture in his compositions pushes their boundaries a bit... This set has everything a jazz fan would want, and has enough compelling rhythmic invention and hard blues thematics to interest a younger generation... It's tough post- and hard bop jazz that is fresh, spirited, cool, and timeless. It will appeal to anyone with half an ear for the real thing." The authors of '' The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' stated: "Moncur sounds like an elder statesman communing with vanished peers. He has acquired an other-worldly quality which sits well with vibist... Adams's attractively floating sound... great to hear such a senior figure back in action." David Grundy, writing for ''EarTrip Magazine'', commented: "this is good, straightforward swinging music. The musical language spoken by the group synthesises elements from cool jazz and hard bop, largely dispensing with Moncur's post-bop/avant garde vocabulary... the group's focus on a comfortable, unassuming organic melodic flow is attractive."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Grachan Moncur III. # "G Train (For Duke Ellington)" – 11:34 # "Inner Cry Blues" – 10:20 # "Hilda" – 9:58 # "A for Pops (For Louis Armstrong)" – 8:36 # "Blue Rondo (For Jackie McLean)" – 11:23 # "Sonny's Back! I.Sonny's Back II. Clifford Browning" – 8:49

Personnel

– trombone * Mitch Marcus – tenor saxophone *

– trumpet * Ben Adams – vibraphone * Lukas Vesely – bass * Sameer Gupta - drums

References

{{Grachan Moncur III, state=autocollapse 2007 albums Grachan Moncur III albums