Bob Belden Ensemble - Treasure Island (1990)

  • 26 Aug, 06:45
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Artist:
Title: Treasure Island
Year Of Release: 1990
Label: Sunnyside
Genre: Jazz
Quality: FLAC (tracks + .cue)
Total Time: 76:09 min
Total Size: 370 MB
WebSite:

Tracklist:

01. Treasure Island
02. Deja Vu
03. The Treasure
04. Rites of Passage
05. The Goodbye
06. The Voyage Home
07. Directions
08. Face on the Barroom Floor
09. Miss Razeau
10. Country Cornflakes
11. Love from the Heart
12. Basin Street Blues
13. Pas de Deux


For his recorded debut as a leader, Bob Belden put together an adventurous and thought-provoking set of highly original music. The tenor saxophonist's six-part 34-minute Treasure Island Suite reads in the liner notes like a fantasy novel with overtones of The Twilight Zone. The gradually evolving music (which explores many moods) fits the narrative and contains excellent solos from Belden (who is most influenced by Wayne Shorter), the plaintive trumpet of Tim Hagans, pianist Marc Cohen, altoist Mike Migliore, and Craig Handy's tenor. Belden also composed three of the other seven selections, arranging all of them, including Joe Zawinul's rarely performed but still modern "Directions," the Wayne Shorter ballad "Face on the Barroom Floor," the driving Bobby Watson piece "Country Cornflakes" (which has some intense Glenn Wilson baritone), and a modern rendition of "Basin Street Blues." Even with the fine solos, it is the variety of moods set by the colorful arrangements of Bob Belden that make Treasure Island a very impressive debut. -- Scott Yanow