Cool school frisson derived from the inspiration of a Los Angeles hotel: l-r, Billy Mohler, Joe La Barbera, Mark Turner
I’ll not tell a lie: I like this A LOT and was reluctant to switch it off. There. No need to read anything else below. But cmere there’s more if still with me, bored, curious, trapped into reading – I don’t mind. I am not going to deconstruct your motivation to read or not as the case may be.
Until this I had no idea who Billy Mohler was apart from working out – oh that’s what you call deep research – that he played the bass. But he’s had quite a few records out and operates extensively on LA’s session scene.
The real star power is provided by two people I have – like any random jazz fan paying even surface attention – heard of, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner and drummer Joe LaBarbera.
The album is named after a boutique hotel located in the Los Feliz and East Hollywood neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Fancy, eh.
The 3 play these compositions of Mohler’s and Ornette’s New York is Now (1968) tune ‘Round Trip’ covered by many down the years including probably most thrillingly Pat Metheny on the Missourian’s 1976 classic Bright Size Life when in the Lee’s Summit man’s hands the piece slid into ‘Broadway Blues.’
It all feels very natural and unforced. Turner plays a blinder. I liked Patternmaster earlier this year. Covell isn’t as good as that but it ain’t too shabby either.
Mohler inhabits a Charlie Haden kind of sound to return to that Metheny thread and of course dear reader it makes sense to stop off and listen to their 1990s classic together Beyond the Missouri Sky or even Pat’s far more hardcore album with Ornette himself, Song X.
I like the sort of strumming Mohler does on ‘Ceremony’ and the loose beyond the bar line kind of feel dotted all over.
LaBarbera, 78, the veteran of the group is best known for his work with Bill Evans in the late-1970s playing alongside Bass Desires legend Marc Johnson. Bringing things more up to date I liked LaBarbera on an album in a more straighathead vein that he did with pianist Jeremy Siskind that featured top English jazz singer Claire Martin released earlier this year (reviewed above). So all in all there is little of any note to cavil about Covell.
