Tommy Flanagan

1982 Discovery Records / Front Cover / flac

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Charlie Shoemake may not have the name recognition of Gary Burton, Lionel Hampton, or Milt Jackson, but the vibraphonist recorded a number of memorable sessions during the 1980s, such as this LP for Discovery. It doesn’t hurt that he has pianist Tommy Flanagan, drummer Paul Motian, bassist Ed Schuller, and guitarist Peter Sprague in his rhythm section, along with trumpeter and flügelhornist Tom Harrell. But what makes this date valuable is Shoemake’s subtle but always swinging playing, not to mention his stimulating arrangements and originals. Following a delightful rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Say It Isn’t So,” Shoemake offers a tantalizing original ballad, “The Child in Me,” which began life as “All My Children” but was retitled when veteran lyricist Arthur Hamilton contributed lyrics, which unfortunately aren’t heard here. His roller coaster post-bop vehicle “Fleeting Resemblance” has a hot, occasionally humorous trumpet solo in which Harrell briefly detours into “Mexican Hat Dance,” while Flanagan whimsically acknowledges Harrell’s prank. The leader’s complex, twisting “Recondite” features his finest playing of the date. Like many of Charlie Shoemake’s albums recorded during this period, the label that issued it has ceased operations, though it should still be obtainable with a diligent search

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