Color Changes
Candid, 2023
9/10
The trumpet and flugelhorn legend Clark Terry enjoyed a 70 year career where he appeared on over 900 recordings and recorded over 50 under his own name. Originally released in 1961, this version of Color Changes comes with a remastered quality thanks to Bernie Grundman’s work with the original master tapes.
“Blue Waltz” opens the listen with Tommy Flanagan’s playful piano and Ed Shaughnessy’s frisky drums complementing Terry’s bright horn, and “Brother Terry” follows with a calmer approach of hazy brass amid Joe Benjamin’s precisely plucked bass and the airy flute moments.
“No Problem” and “La Rive Gauche” land in the middle, where the former is a stylish and rhythmic album highlight that showcases Terry’s inimitable talent, and the latter contains plenty of melody thanks to the upbeat flute and trombone from Jimmy Knepper.
Arriving at the end, the full and animated “Chat Qui Péche (A Cat That Fishes)” offers a dynamic and dance floor ready display of timeless jazz that’s guided by Terry’s trumpet.
An aptly titled body of work, the listen spans many moods and colorful landscapes, where, in addition to the above mentioned, Julius Watkins (French horn), Seldon Powell (tenor, flute), Yusef Lateef (tenor, flute, English horn, oboe) and Budd Johnson (piano on 1 track) all bring their talents to a classic piece of jazz history.
Travels well with: Charles Mingus- Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus; Max Roach- We Insist!