PAPATAMUS REDUX

AMP 59TO (RECORDED JUNE 2023)

This recording disproves a statement once made by George Bernard Shaw — “Those who can do, those who can’t teach.” The four educators featured of Geoffrey Dean’s Foundation certainly do! They do justice to a selection of lesser-known tunes from composers such as Sam Rivers. Duke Pearson, Elmo Hope and others. Pianist Geoffrey Dean does it all with impeccable taste and touch — from the sublime ballad playing of Sonny Clark’s “Conception” to the quirky unconventional blues of Andrew Hill’s “Yokada Yokada.” Trumpeter Justin Copeland does a journeyman’s job on tunes originally recorded by trumpeters such as Miles Davis, Johnny Coles, Donald Byrd and Art Farmer (without imitating them) as well as crafting trumpet lines for tunes such as Sam River’s “Cyclic Episodes” which were never recorded by trumpeters. Harish Raghavan does yeoman work in laying the groundwork for the group to explore the melodies and harmonies of the nine selections. Drummer Eric Binder does his usual best in driving the group through burners, ballads and blues. Let’s hope this recording is truly the “foundation” for another volume of hard bop era tunes performed by this outstanding ensemble of teachers who are doing it!

BOTTOM LINE: There are only two words to describe this collection of lesser-known tunes from the hard bop era performed by a quartet that deserves to be known — well played.