''Walls–Bridges'' is a live album by drummer

Ed Blackwell Edward Joseph Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for his extensive, influential work with Ornette Coleman. Biography Blackwell's early career began in New Orleans ...

. It was recorded in February 1992 at Hampden Theatre,

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...

, and was released by

Black Saint Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

in 1996. On the album, Blackwell is joined by saxophonist

Dewey Redman Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played ...

and bassist Cameron Brown. The contents of the album were reissued in 2014 on ''The Complete Remastered Recordings On Black Saint & Soul Note''. The album is one of Blackwell's last recordings; he died in October 1992.

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 ...

, Scott Yanow wrote: "The concert... is an example of superior freebop. Although some of the music is boppish and there are explorations of Miles Davis' 'Half Nelson'... 'Everything Happens to Me' and 'Take the A Train,' there is also a lot of space for Redman's fairly free improvising. The communication between the three masterful musicians... is quite impressive, and overall this is a highly recommended set of explorative yet fairly accessible music." Writing for ''

Modern Drummer ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public. ''Mo ...

'' magazine, Mark Griffith commented: "we're hearing some outstanding ''three-way'' musical conversations. By listening to a group evolve right before your ears, you can greatly improve your understanding of musical communication... Let the title of... ''Walls–Bridges''... stand for the obstacles lackwellovercame and the connections he made between all genres of music: free, bebop, African and American."

Track listing

# "Half Nelson" (

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

) – 19:15 # " Everything Happens to Me" (

Matt Dennis Matthew Loveland Dennis (February 11, 1914 – June 21, 2002) was an American singer, pianist, band leader, arranger, and writer of music for popular songs. Biography Dennis was born in Seattle, Washington, United States. His mother was a violi ...

) – 13:05 # "Boo-Boo Doop" (Dewey Redman) – 13:45 # "Walls–Bridges" (Dewey Redman) – 13:33 # "Obeeso" (Dewey Redman) – 10:28 # "Blues For J.A.M." (Dewey Redman) – 5:36 # "

Take the "A" Train "Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. History The use of the Strayhorn composition as the signature tune was made necessary by a ruling in 1940 by the American ...

" (

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take ...

) – 3:07

Personnel

– tenor saxophone * Cameron Brown – bass *

– drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walls-Bridges 1996 live albums Black Saint/Soul Note live albums Ed Blackwell live albums