''The Challenge'' is a solo piano album by
Hampton Hawes
Hampton Barnett Hawes Jr. (November 13, 1928 – May 22, 1977) was an American jazz pianist. He was the author of the memoir ''Raise Up Off Me'', which won the Deems-Taylor Award for music writing in 1975.
Early life
Hampton Hawes was born on ...
. It was recorded in 1968 and released by Victor. It was his only solo album.
Recording and music
The solo piano album was recorded in Tokyo on May 7, 9, and 12, 1968.
The project was "a result of a Japanese producer's enthusiasm for Hawes's music."
The material includes jazz standards, the contemporary pop song "
Who Can I Turn To?
"Who Can I Turn To?" (alternatively titled "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)") is a song written by English lyricists Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and first published in 1964.
Background
The song was introduced in the musical ' ...
", and three Hawes originals.
All except "
Bags' Groove" are short performances.
Hawes uses "contrapuntal left-hand lines, doubtless compensating for the absence of bass and drums."
Release and reception
''The Challenge'' was released by Victor in Japan.
The
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 concluded: "the pianist shows that he could create stirring music without the assistance of a rhythm section."
''
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 b ...
'' commented that the album was important for being Hawes's only solo release, and noted that even the unsuccessful performance of "
Clementine
A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange ( ''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a sweet orange (''C. × sinensis''), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who fir ...
" provided the listener with an insight into "Hawes's harmonic instincts and his fine structural intelligence."
Track listing
#"Hamp's Blues"
#"
Summertime"
#"
What's New?
What's New?" is a 1939 popular song composed by Bob Haggart, with lyrics by Johnny Burke.
It was originally an instrumental tune titled "I'm Free" by Haggart in 1938, when Haggart was a member of Bob Crosby and His Orchestra. The tune was writt ...
"
#"
It Could Happen to You"
#"
My Romance"
#"
Autumn Leaves"
#"
Just One of Those Things"
#"
Who Can I Turn To?
"Who Can I Turn To?" (alternatively titled "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)") is a song written by English lyricists Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and first published in 1964.
Background
The song was introduced in the musical ' ...
"
#"
Bags' Groove"
#"
Clementine
A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange ( ''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a sweet orange (''C. × sinensis''), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who fir ...
"
#"Young People's Tune"
#"Shinjuku"
Personnel
* Hampton Hawes – piano
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Challenge (album)
Hampton Hawes albums
Solo piano jazz albums