Ear Shot - The Music of Mel Graves

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Although bassist and composer Mel Graves is technically an "academic" (having taught at Sonoma State University in California for over twenty years), he established himself as a musician in the late 1960's, playing with pianist Denny Zeitlin, guitarists Jerry Hahn and John Abercrombie, and briefly with pianist/vocalist Mose Allison. Most of the time, he was one half of a rhythm section that was completed by drummer George Marsh, a long-time friend and associate, who also occupies the drum chair on this new CD.

In his liner notes, Graves talks about his use of "odd time signatures"(7/4, 11/4), rhythmic nuances, and "angular yet lyrical melodies" in his compositions, but listeners who are thus set up for a challenging, eccentric program are going to be puzzled, if not disappointed. On the other hand (turning the negative into a positive), anyone who likes literate mainstream jazz is going to find this disk very much to their liking. The structure of Graves' compositions is indeed somewhat oblique and elusive, with a substantial number of key changes and a sophisticated use of instrumental counterpoint. So the music always maintains a certain depth, and never degenerates into the bland and generic territory of "easy-listening jazz." But the lyrical nature of the writing, and the choice of instrumentation, keeps everything smooth and mellow.

Flautist Bob Afifi, a former student of Graves, is the dominant soloist, and unlike the majority of jazz flautists, Afifi is not just doubling on flute to enhance his versatility as a studio musician. The flute is clearly his main (in fact, his only) instrument, and he has a gorgeous tone and a nimble, surefooted rhythmic sense. The relative prominence of Randy Vincent on languid, Wes Montgomery-style electric guitar (no feedback, no distortion, no reverb) further enhances the chamber jazz aura, although the more robust interjections of tenor saxophonist Harvey Wainapel (on the title piece, for example), plus a couple of nice turns by Pete Estabrook on trumpet and Al Bent on trombone, keep the listener from drifting off into an extended reverie. Graves and Marsh, the obvious veterans of the group, act as veterans should - supplying some pithy solos and effective fills, but mainly just booting things along, seeing to it that the rhythmic machinery keeps humming. Expect no thunderbolts of revelation from this recording, but be prepared for some very tasty, satisfying jazz.