View Larger-
We Say...
Newman died of pancreatic cancer less than six weeks after this session, but the compromises made on his behalf don't deter from what emerges as a dignified and durable swan song. There is ample support from a backing quintet (vibes, piano, guitar and rhythm section with no other horn) that frequently lay out the ambience and head arrangements before "Fathead" chimes in. Even an unsentimental assessment would concede he sounds flush; less torrid than his vintage work with Ray Charles, but with a deep, rich tone, heavy on the vibrato. This is wonderfully suited to well-known mid-tempo ballads such as "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Smile," both of them as luxurious as a massage. "Time Goes By" is another burnished beauty — you'd need a snorkel and fins to get to the bottom of Newman's tone. The band is likewise in fine fettle, providing a deft, linear drive to Milt Jackson's "SKJ" and providing some sharp solos, highlighted by Steve Nelson's vibes on Luiz Bonfa's "Manha de Carnival," Peter Bernstein's perfectly lofted continuation of Newman on "Smile," and drummer Yoron Israel's crisp energy during "Whispers of Contentment," one of two excellent compositions by pianist David Leonhardt. The only real misstep is a cover of Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge," forever associated with tenor Ben Webster, whose tone Newman increasingly approximated, so why belabor the comparison? Fortunately, Newman's own choice for last call, an original entitled "The Blessing" that he performs on flute, is imbued with the spunky soul and infectious lilt that characterized his long and successful career, right down to this final track.
-
They Say...
David "Fathead" Newman's final recording session took place just a few weeks before his death from pancreatic cancer. Although he obviously doesn't exhibit the power heard on his earlier recordings, like Charlie Rouse and Stan Getz before him (fellow cancer victims who recorded not long prior to their deaths), Newman more than holds his own throughout the date, joined by vibraphonist Steve Nelson, pianist David Leonhart, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist John Menegon, and drummer Yoron Israel. In the opener, Milt Jackson's tasty blues "SKJ," Newman takes a soft-spoken approach that follows the old adage that less is often more. His lush take of "As Time Goes By" features Nelson first, then his heartfelt vibrato at the end of each line adds a sentimental air. The fresh, exotic approach to Charlie Chaplin's tearjerker ballad "Smile" has the flavor of a tropical island paradise. "Chelsea Bridge" seems all but owned by the late tenor giant Ben Webster, so Newman simultaneously salutes his predecessor while putting a bit of his own touch to it. The final track, "The Blessing," an original by the leader, is a funky feature for his flute, with just a touch of gospel. Newman benefited from frequent recording opportunities with HighNote during his last years, and he went on top with this fine effort.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 9 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 9 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
SKJ |
6:23 |
|
| 02. | |
SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME |
5:47 |
|
| 03. | |
AS TIME GOES BY |
4:55 |
|
| 04. | |
MANHA DE CARNIVAL |
5:27 |
|
| 05. | |
SMILE |
6:33 |
|
| 06. | |
ROMANTIC NIGHT |
7:31 |
|
| 07. | |
CHELSEA BRIDGE |
5:59 |
|
| 08. | |
WHISPERS OF CONTENTMENT |
5:24 |
|
| 09. | |
THE BLESSING |
7:07 |
|
09 Total Tracks, 55:06 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like David 'Fathead' Newman, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by David 'Fathead' Newman fans
Credits
- Houston Person - Producer // Steve Nelson - Vibraphone // David Leonhardt - Piano // David Leonhardt - Piano // Peter Bernstein - Guitar // Peter Bernstein - Guitar // Peter Bernstein - Guitar // Joe Fields - Executive Producer // Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer // Rudy Van Gelder - Mastering // Rudy Van Gelder - Mixing // Yoron Israel - Drums // David "Fathead" Newman - Flute // David "Fathead" Newman - Sax (Tenor) // David "Fathead" Newman - Producer // Maureen Sickler - Assistant Engineer // Maureen Sickler - Mixing Assistant // Maureen Sickler - Mastering Assistant // Andrew Lepley - Cover Photo // John Menegon - Bass // Keiji Obata - Design // Nick Ruechel - Photography // Ray Osnato - Liner Notes
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC