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Temptation of the Crossroads: Blue vs Brown

from Rites of Ascension by Nick Maclean Quartet

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The first of the non-Hancock originals, Temptation of the Crossroads: Blue vs Brown, invokes the classic blues mythology in which the master musician (Robert Johnson, self-mythologized in his song Crossroads, being the classic example, though similar tales have followed artists from Paganini to Led Zeppelin) gives his soul to Satan in exchange for his other-worldly virtuosity. Sometimes the tale manifests as a battle royale between good and evil, and here the Dark Lord is taken on by a plunger-wielding Brownman as the band explores the deep blues feeling that would inevitably have been part of the soundtrack of Hancock's Chicago upbringing. After an appropriately emotionally grimy solo by Brownman the track features a raunchy, blues-harp inspired melodica solo by Maclean as well as a thoughtful bass solo by Dietschi. Interestingly the subtitle "Blue Vs Brown" comes from Maclean's delight in discovering his trumpet player's disdain for playing in 3. "The only thing I hate more than waltzes, are slow blues", Brownman once proclaimed -- resulting in this slow-blues-in-3's subtitle being immediately dedicated to its composer's colleague. The tune closes with another Maclean-Brownman exchange, likely over the fate that their souls shared at the crossroads.

credits

from Rites of Ascension, released October 31, 2017
Composed by Nick Maclean
Solo order: trumpet, melodica, bass, drums

Nick Maclean - piano/melodica
Brownman Ali - trumpet
Jesse Dietschi - bass
Tyler Goertzen - drums

recorded by Jeremy Darby and Julian Decorte at Canterbury Studios
mixed by Josh Bowman at Bowman Sound
mastered by Nick Blagona at Psychotropic Studios
produced by Brownman Ali

cover art by Dean Shu

liner notes by Dave Restivo

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Nick Maclean Quartet Toronto, Ontario

This contemplative and often thrilling quartet's explorations of modern, original repertoire delivers jazz between the two poles of thoughtful introspection and powerhouse conveyance, taking influences from Herbie Hancock's primordial 1960's Blue Note era recordings featuring Freddie Hubbard, while simultaneously paying apt tribute to some of the greatest improvisers in jazz history. ... more

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