''Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival'' is a live album by bassist

Henry Grimes Henry Grimes (November 3, 1935 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist and violinist. After more than a decade of activity and performance, notably as a leading bassist in free jazz, Grimes completely disappeared from the music s ...

. It was recorded in June 2004 at the Kerava Jazz Festival in

Kerava Kerava (; sv, Kervo) is a town and municipality within the Uusimaa region of Finland. The municipalities of Vantaa, Sipoo and Tuusula are adjacent to Kerava, which is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. The town has a population of () an ...

, Finland and was released by

Ayler Records Ayler is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albert Ayler (1936–1970), American jazz saxophonist, singer, and composer * Donald Ayler (1942–2007), American jazz trumpeter, brother of Albert * Ethel Ayler (1930–2018), Americ ...

in 2005. On the album, Grimes is joined by saxophonist David Murray and drummer

Hamid Drake Hamid Drake (born August 3, 1955) is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. By the close of the 1990s, Hamid Drake was widely regarded as one of the best percussionists in jazz and improvised music. Incorporating Afro-Cuban, Indian, and Afr ...

. The album was Grimes's first recording as a leader since his 1966 debut '' The Call''.

Reception

The authors of ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

'' awarded the album 3 stars, and stated: "This live date from Finland suggests that 30 years of inactivity haven't done his chops any serious harm. His solo on the opening 'Spin' has the same rumbling power he always conjured... The cover painting by Åke Bjurhamn shows a mysterious sunlit ship sailing placidly on deep, dark water; we can think of no better visual analogy to this story and this music." Writing for ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'', Andrey Henkin commented: "The album is one of those rare intergenerational events that allow listeners to trace a direct lineage through jazz. Grimes' work from the '60s no doubt influenced Murray and Drake, the Coltrane and Cyrille of their generation. To hear the trio come together is fascinating, if only to hear how Grimes is inspired by those he himself inspired." In a separate review for the same publication, Rex Butters wrote: "Murray and Drake share with Grimes an approach that incorporates virtuosity and daunting technical skill to create an active onslaught of ideas... There's going to be a tendency to underestimate Grimes' achievement here, which is akin to a star major league hitter dropping out for thirty years to return more poised with the same power against younger pitchers. For fans unable to catch the man in action, ''Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival'' holds the proof that this jazz Orpheus has returned from the underworld a greater light." Critic Tom Hull remarked: "The sound doesn't favor the return of Ayler's long-lost bassist, but David Murray and Hamid Drake do."

Track listing

# "Spin" (Grimes) - 22:21 # "Eighty Degrees" (Drake) - 25:49 # "Flowers For Albert" (Murray) - 7:48 # "Blues For Savannah" (Grimes) - 7:34

Personnel

* David Murray – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet *

– bass *

– drums

References

{{authority control 2005 live albums Henry Grimes live albums Ayler Records live albums