Ralph Peterson is back in Occhi Magazine, this time as we discuss his recent release Onward and Upward. Carrying on the legacy of Blakey, the album is composed of seventeen people, fourteen Jazz Messengers alumni, and three individuals (Legacy Messengers) Peterson feels would have become messengers had Blakey heard them! The combined experience of all the members spans well over four decades, plus the compositions and arrangements truly show that Blakey’s spirit is being kept alive and well by Peterson.
The first track “Forth and Back” brings FORTH the excitement that is to come in its entirety from this album. A quirky melody leads until some very creatively playful trading between the horn section followed by an exquisite piano solo before an interlude launches the masterful bass and drum solos ending with the melody come back around. “Sonora Finale” is a medium tempo samba that is reminiscent of the Messengers version of Nica’s dream by Horace Silver. The title track “Onward and Upward” is aptly named as it is upbeat and has the feel of a song destined to not stop until it reaches its destination. Peterson, who lives by this motto, definitely embraces these words in their totality with an awe-inspiring solo that shows why he continues to be one of the greatest living drummers in jazz today. “Waltz for Etienne and Ebony” is an amazing waltz that possesses both strength and beauty in the melody, the harmony, and the playing of the ensemble. No Blakey album would be complete without the blues element, and Peterson holds true to this tradition with the tune, “Red, Black, and Green blues.” This shuffle is up-tempo, and driving, inspiring the ensemble to new heights, and making it impossible for the listener to stay still.
Personally, one of my favorite selections from the album is “Un Poco Haina!” A rhythmical melody that transitions from afro-Cuban to uptempo swing, blistering solos, yet another sensational solo from the grandmaster drummer…. What more could I ask for? “Sudan Blues,” written by Bill Pierce is the only tune on the record previously recorded by Blakey and bridges the gap between the Messenger past and present along with the presence of Peterson and the Messenger alumni. The ballad on the date “Portrait of Lord Willis” is a tribute to Larry Willis, who passed away last year and it is played with sensitivity befitting of the fallen giant. “Tricks of The Trade” is an aptly named title for this tune and, dare I say, could even have been the title track of the album because with the amount of history present on this album, many a young aspiring musician could learn some tricks of the trade from this album! It took me a while to sit down and write something about “El Grito” because I started dancing to it (well, to the best of my abilities!). I don’t want to give away too much, but I’ll just say that there is a reason this is the track maestro Peterson chose to release as the single prior to the release of the album. “Along Came Benny” is a contrafact over the staple messenger tune, “Along Came Betty” written by Benny Golson. I love the pocket feel of it, giving it a modern-day feel to truly distinguish it from the Golson masterpiece as well as round off the variety of feels this album has to offer to the listener.
Onward and Upward is truly a masterpiece that I believe is a direct continuation of the Messenger Legacy. Peterson along with Joanne Brackeen, Zaccai Curtis, and Anthony Wonsey on piano, Essiet Essiet, Peter Washington, Lonnie Plaxico, and Melissa Slocum on bass, Kevin Eubanks on guitar, Brian Lynch and Phillip Harper on trumpet, Bill Pierce and Jean Toussaint on tenor saxophone, Craig Handy on alto and tenor saxophone, Robin Eubanks and Steve Davies on trombone, and Reinaldo de Jesus on percussion have displayed some wonderful artistry that has brought all these gems of compositions to life!
Special congratulations to Zaccai Curtis, Anthony Wonsey, and Reinaldo de Jesus for being ordained by maestro Peterson into the Legacy family, and it is nice to see that Peterson is continuing with Blakey’s legacy and wanting to include the younger musicians into the fray as well as venture into recording and playing the new music! With the exception of “Sudan Blues,” none of these tunes were recorded by Blakey, and yet they carry that spirit, and I believe this is what stands out, in my opinion, and why this record will be cemented in Jazz Messenger history, and Jazz history as a whole… Onward and Upward!
Image: Courtesy of Ralph Peterson
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