With All My Heart

by Harvey Mason Sr., Monty Alexander, Eddie Gomez

Overview

Drummer Harvey Mason has great taste in pianists. Among the world-class stylists who accepted his invitation to participate on this program of piano trios are Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones, Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau, Bob James, Fred Hersch, Cedar Walton, Monty Alexander, and Mulgrew Miller. Mason also has an ear for great bassists as well: Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Larry Grenadier, Eddie Gomez, and Charnett Moffett make striking appearances here. The leader is no slouch on his instrument, either, as those familiar with his work over the past 30-plus year can attest. Mason may be best known for his work with Hancock’s funky Headhunters band of the 1970s and for his more recent smooth-jazz recordings with Fourplay, but he’s also an exceptional straight-ahead jazz player. (His remarkable affinity for pianists and the piano trio setting may be attributable to his early stints with Errol Garner and George Shearing.) With All My Heart is consistently lively and remarkably consistent; despite the fluctuating lineup, a unified sound is maintained, lending the album identity and focus. An unexpected triumph for all concerned.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/18/2004
Label:	Rca Victor
UPC:	0828765274128
catalogNumber:	52741
Rank:	69378

Tracks

1. Bernie's Tune
2. If I Should Lose You
3. So Near, So Far
4. Swamp Fire
5. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
6. Hindsight
7. Dindi
8. Without A Song
9. One Morning In May
10. Speak Like A Child
11. Tess

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Harvey Mason   Primary Artist,Drums
Monty Alexander   Piano
Eddie Gomez   Bass
Herbie Hancock   Piano
Fred Hersch   Piano
Bob James   Piano
Hank Jones   Piano
Cedar Walton   Piano
Kenny Barron   Piano
Dave Carpenter   Bass
Armando Anthony Corea   Piano
Dave Grusin   Piano
Larry Grenadier   Bass
Charlie Haden   Bass
Brad Mehldau   Piano
Mulgrew Miller   Piano
George Mraz   Bass
Michael Valerio   Bass

Technical Credits

Monty Alexander   Composer
Eddie Gomez   Composer
Herbie Hancock   Composer
Fred Hersch   Composer
Hank Jones   Composer
John Surman   Composer
Cedar Walton   Composer
Vincent Youmans   Composer
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Jerome Kern   Composer
Kenny Barron   Composer
Dave Carpenter   Composer
Armando Anthony Corea   Composer
Dave Grusin   Composer
Ken Freeman   Engineer
Larry Grenadier   Composer
Otto Harbach   Composer
Antonio Carlos Jobim   Composer
Harvey Mason   Producer,Liner Notes,Audio Production
Brad Mehldau   Composer
Bernard Miller   Composer
Mulgrew Miller   Composer
Charnett Moffett   Composer
George Mraz   Composer
Don Murray   Engineer
Ralph Rainger   Composer
Schmitt   Engineer
Mike Stoller   Composer

Editorial Reviews

Because Harvey Mason has appeared so frequently as a sideman on lots of smooth jazz dates, one tends to think of him solely within that genre, even though his roots are in straight-ahead jazz. This rare date as a leader features the drummer leading a series of 11 different piano-bass-drums trios, primarily in post-bop, bop or hard bop settings. His arrangement of "Bernie's Tune" is very refreshing, utilizing reoccurring displaced rhythm behind Kenny Barron and Ron Carter. The magic continues with Chick Corea and Dave Carpenter in their creative rendition of "If I Should Lose You." Victor Feldman's less familiar "So Near, So Far" features Fred Hersch and Eddie Gomez, though the expected influence of the late Bill Evans is minimal. But elder statesman Hank Jones steals the spotlight with his elegant interpretation of "Tess," a tune that was brand new to him; Mason and Jones' longtime bassist George Mraz joins him. Some of the other participating musicians for this project include Monty Alexander, Charlie Haden, Cedar Walton, Mulgrew Miller, Herbie Hancock, Brad Mehldau, Bob James and Dave Grusin. Mason's informative liner notes not only describe how each take came together in the studio but add background about his relationship to each musician or what appealed to him about each individual's playing. The only oversight on this terrific release is the inadvertent omission of track-by-track composer credits, though a few of them are included within Mason's commentary.

All Music Guide - Ken Dryden