Charlie Gabriel’s ‘Eighty Nine’ – VINYL

Description

Ive been playing since I was 11 years old, says Charlie Gabriel, the most senior member of the legendary Preservation Hall Band. I never did anything in my life but play music. Ive been blessed with that gift that God gave me, and Ive tried to nurse it the best way I knew how.

While hes faced plenty of challenges nursing that gift for more than 78 years, none likely rank with last winters passing of his brother and last living sibling, Leonard, lost to COVID-19. For the first time ever, Gabriel put down his horn, filling his days and weeks instead with dark reflection, a stubborn despondency broken now and then by regular chess matches in the studio kitchen of Hall leader Ben Jaffe, working overtime to bring his friend some light.

One such afternoon also included Joshua Starkman, sitting off in a corner playing his guitar and half-watching the chess from a distance. When Charlie returned the next day, he brought his saxophone. I was just inspired to try it, to play again. It had been a long time, and a guitar makes me feel free. I do love the sound of a piano, but it takes up a lot of a space, keeps me kind of boxed in.

That day was to be the first session for89, almost entirely the work of Gabriel, Jaffe, and Starkman, recorded mostly right there, in the kitchen, by Matt Aguiluz.

Charlie Gabriels first professional gig dates back to 1943, sitting in for his father in New Orleans Eureka Brass Band. As a teenager living in Detroit, Charlie played with Lionel Hampton, whose band then also included a young Charles Mingus; later he spent nine years with a group led by Cab Calloway drummer, J.C. Heard. While hes also fronted a bebop quintet, played and/or toured with Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, and many more,89is the first time his name appears on the front of a record, as a bandleader.

Since 2006, Gabriel has been a member of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, featuring prominently onThats It,So It Is, andTuba to Cuba.89was different, and not simply due to a smaller ensemble. We had no particular plan, or any particular insight on what we were gonna do. But we were enjoying what we were doing, jamming, having a musical conversation, Charlie says, further musing, Musical conversations cancel out complications.

89includes six jazz standards and two new pieces, The Darker It Gets and Yellow Moon. Charlie describes the repertoire, which includes Stardust, Im Confessin (That I Love You), and Three Little Words, as standard material that every musician, if theyre an older musician like myself, will have played throughout their career. Every time I play one of these tunes the interpretation is a little bit different.

Finally,89includes three tracks of Charlie singing

I always sang, but it wasnt my forte to become a singer, he says. The truth is, people often develop a real relationship with a song once they hear the words. Sometimes I enjoy singing them.

*Special Subpop “Loser” Edition: Limited-Edition First Pressing on Yellow Vinyl