December 28, 1 9 9 5 - January 4, 1 9 9 6

**** Hamiet Bluiett

BIRTHRIGHT

(India Navigation)

Any jazz fan in need of an instant antidote to the predictable horn patterns of today's jazz neo-conservatives should purchase this 1977 in-concert gem, available at last on CD. This is perhaps the most idea-laden yet consistently listenable solo horn album ever made; only Steve Lacy's recitals are contenders at this level. The far reaches of the baritone, from teakettle whistle to whale-like rumble, are integrated into shapely song structures, most memorably on "The Mighty Denn," a portrait of Bluiett's son. "In Tribute to Harry Carney" reveals a chief inspiration for Bluiett; his sound is as massive as that Ellingtonian's, but more dissonant, rhythmically irregular. Another virtue of this recording is how it underscores the contributions Bluiett has made to the World Saxophone Quartet. Any of these tunes would shine with four reeds blasting at full-tilt.

-- Norman Weinstein