I’ve long admired the work of Buster Williams, and it’s good to see that at 80 he’s still at the top of his game. He’s worked with Art Blakey, Chick Corea, the Marsalis brothers and Sonny Rollins, and was a member of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi band, and the Thelonious Monk tribute ensemble Sphere.
His new album Unalome is named after the Buddhist lotus symbol representing transcendence and enlightenment. The album reassembles Williams’ quartet from Griot Liberté (2004), and includes long-term partners George Colligan and Lenny White, plus vibist Stefon Harris.
Vocalist Jean Baylor sings both with lyrics and wordlessly, and the album also features saxophonist Bruce Williams. At its core are two ballads by the leader, the first of which he also wrote lyrics for. In The Middle Of A Rainbow shows that Baylor is as skilled with words as she is with vocalese. The other ballad is the atmospheric Wisdom Of Silence.
For me, though, the highlight is Brazilian classic Estate – a beautiful performance. This isn’t the bassist’s most challenging album – he’s helped create several classics, of which Something More from 1989 is my favourite. The latter is an original achievement, which this one is not – but it’s very enjoyable.
Discography
Stairways; Estate; Tayamisha; In The Middle Of A Rainbow; The Wisdom Of Silence; 42Nd Street; I’ve Got The World On A String; Here’s To Life (51.26)
Bruce Williams (ss, f); Stefon Harris (vib); George Colligan (p); Buster Williams (b); Lenny White (d); Jean Baylor (v). NYC, 26-27 April 2022.
Smoke Sessions Records SSR-2301
