Twenty One (Geri Allen album)

Last updated
Twenty One
Twenty One (Geri Allen album).jpg
Studio album by
Geri Allen
ReleasedNovember 1994
RecordedMarch 23–24, 1994
StudioManhattan Center Studios, NYC
Genre Jazz
Length54:18
Label Blue Note CDP 8 30028
Producer Herb Jordan & Teo Macero
Geri Allen chronology
Maroons
(1992)		Twenty One
(1994)		 Eyes in the Back of Your Head
(1996)

Twenty One is an album by pianist Geri Allen with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams recorded in 1994 and released on the Blue Note label. [1] The title of the album refers to the commitment Allen made at age 21 to continue and extend the tradition of the jazz masters. [2]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]

AllMusic awarded the album 3½ stars, stating, " Allen's style is fairly original, with hints of Herbie Nichols, and her chancetaking but logical solos are generally quite stimulating". [3]

Writer Gary Giddins called the album "a display of strength" and "a mature work by a performer... who was repositioning herself as a jazz centrist." [4] He commented: "This is a trio fearsomely alive... The triumph of Twenty One is in the certainty with which Allen's individuality asserts itself in a setting that might have neutralized her." [5]

Track listing

All compositions by Geri Allen except as indicated

  1. "RTG" - 2:46
  2. "If I Should Lose You" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) - 4:36
  3. "Drummer's Song" - 3:52
  4. "Introspection/Thelonious" (Thelonious Monk) - 4:36
  5. "A Beautiful Friendship" (Donald Kahn, Stanley Styne) - 3:23
  6. "In the Morning" - 6:10
  7. "Tea for Two" (Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans) - 3:18
  8. "Lullaby of the Leaves" (Bernice Petkere, Joe Young) - 5:15
  9. "Feed the Fire" - 6:17
  10. "Old Folks" (Dedette Lee Hill, Willard Robison) - 6:18
  11. "A Place of Power" - 3:16
  12. "In the Middle" - 4:25

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thelonious Monk</span> American jazz pianist and composer (1917–1982)

Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second-most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington.

<i>Quartet</i> (Herbie Hancock album) 1982 studio album by Herbie Hancock

Quartet is the thirty-fourth album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, featuring a quartet with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. It was originally issued in Japan on CBS/Sony, and later given a US release by Columbia.

Confirmation is a bebop standard composed by saxophonist Charlie Parker in 1945. It is known as a challenging number due to its long, complex head and rapid chord changes, which feature an extended cycle of fifths. Jazz educator Dariusz Terefenko has pointed out the speed and intricacy of "Confirmation's" "harmonic rhythm", which he notes is typical of the bebop era.

<i>Monk in Motian</i> 1989 studio album by Paul Motian

Monk in Motian is a 1988 album by American jazz drummer Paul Motian, his first to be released on the German JMT label and his 11th as a bandleader. The album features ten compositions by Thelonious Monk performed by Motian with his longtime trio, guitarist Bill Frisell and tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. Pianist Geri Allen and tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman also appear. The album was reissued in 2002 on the Winter & Winter label.

<i>Picasso</i> (album) 1993 studio album by David Murray

Picasso is an album by the David Murray Octet, released on the Japanese DIW label in 1993. It features performances by Murray, Rasul Siddik, Hugh Ragin, Craig Harris, James Spaulding, Dave Burrell, Wilber Morris and Tani Tabbal. "Picasso Suite" is a tribute to both Pablo Picasso and Coleman Hawkins's tribute to Picasso. It was written for the Northeast Ohio Jazz Society and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

<i>Point of No Return</i> (World Saxophone Quartet album) 1977 live album by World Saxophone Quartet

Point of No Return is the debut album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet released on the Moers Music label in 1977.

<i>Momentum Space</i> 1999 studio album by Dewey Redman, Cecil Taylor & Elvin Jones

Momentum Space is an album by American jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman, pianist Cecil Taylor and drummer Elvin Jones featuring performances recorded in 1998 and released on the Verve label.

<i>The Comedy</i> (album) 1962 studio album by Modern Jazz Quartet

The Comedy is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1960 and 1962 and released on the Atlantic label.

<i>Jaki Byard with Strings!</i> 1968 studio album by Jaki Byard

Jaki Byard with Strings! is an album by pianist Jaki Byard recorded in 1968 and released on the Prestige label. It is a sextet recording, with George Benson (guitar), Ray Nance, Ron Carter (cello), Richard Davis, and Alan Dawson.

<i>Circular Temple</i> 1992 studio album by Matthew Shipp

Circular Temple is an album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp featuring his trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey, which was recorded in 1990 and released on the tiny label Quinton Records. The album was reissued in 1994 by Infinite Zero, a label founded by Henry Rollins and Rick Rubin to re-release out-of-print records, which was a division of American Recordings, under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Records.

<i>Timeless Portraits and Dreams</i> 2006 studio album by Geri Allen

Timeless Portraits and Dreams is an album by pianist Geri Allen recorded in 2006 and released on the Telarc label.

<i>After the Beginning Again</i> 1992 studio album by Cassandra Wilson

After the Beginning Again is the sixth studio album by the American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson originally released on the JMT label in 1992 and later rereleased on Winter & Winter.

<i>Im Old Fashioned</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Sadao Watanabe with the Great Jazz Trio

I'm Old Fashioned is an album by Japanese saxophonist Sadao Watanabe with the Great Jazz Trio; pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, recorded in 1976 for the Japanese East Wind label.

<i>Direct from L.A.</i> 1978 studio album by The Great Jazz Trio

Direct from L.A. is an album by the Great Jazz Trio featuring pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, recorded using direct metal mastering in 1977 for the Japanese East Wind label.

<i>Encounter</i> (Trio 3 album) 2000 studio album by Trio 3

Encounter is an album by Trio 3, a jazz group consisting of saxophonist Oliver Lake, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in 1999 and released on Lake's own Passin' Thru label.

<i>The Master Trio</i> 1983 studio album by Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter and Tony Williams

The Master Trio is an album by jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams.

<i>Crunchin</i> 1993 studio album by Wallace Roney

Crunchin' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney which was recorded in 1993 and released on the Muse label.

<i>Monk on Monk</i> 1997 studio album by T. S. Monk

Monk on Monk is an album by the drummer T. S. Monk, recorded in 1997 and released on the N2K label.

Testimonial is an album by the American drummer Carl Allen, released in 1995. It combines the musical styles of jazz and gospel. Allen supported the album with a North American tour.

References

  1. ↑ Geri Allen catalog, accessed July 1, 2014
  2. ↑ Giddins, Gary (1998). Visions of Jazz : The First Century. Oxford University Press. p. 620.
  3. 1 2 Yanow, S., Allmusic Review accessed July 1, 2014
  4. ↑ Giddins, Gary (1998). Visions of Jazz : The First Century. Oxford University Press. p. 618.
  5. ↑ Giddins, Gary (1998). Visions of Jazz : The First Century. Oxford University Press. p. 622.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.