''Velvet Blue'' is the second album by American jazz double-bassist

Harrison Bankhead Harrison Napoleon Bankhead III (March 1, 1955 – April 5, 2023) was an American jazz double-bassist. Life and career Bankhead became associated with the Chicago jazz scene in the early-1980s. Early in his career, he performed with Fred Ander ...

. It was recorded in March 2013 in Amherst, Massachusetts, and was released later that year by Engine Studios. On the album, Bankhead is joined by saxophonists

Mars Williams Marc Charles "Mars" Williams (May 29, 1955 – November 20, 2023) was an American jazz and rock saxophonist. He was a member of the American new wave band The Waitresses from 1980 to 1983, and a member of the British post-punk band The Psyched ...

and Edward Wilkerson, and drummer Avreeayl Ra. The title track is an homage to the

Velvet Lounge The Velvet Lounge was a nightclub in the South Loop of Chicago. It started as a jazz club and was called the "dusty epicenter of the Midwest's free form jazz scene." It was located at 2128 1/2 S. Indiana Avenue before moving to 67 E. Cermak when t ...

, the club owned by saxophonist Fred Anderson.

Reception

Writing for ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'', Mark Corroto commented: "Harrison Bankhead's time has come. The... AACM is on a roll with the release of ''Velvet Blue''... this isn't just a blowing session. The bassist's AACM affiliation necessitates the exploration of meditative sounds." In an article for ''Something Else!'', S. Victor Aaron remarked: "Harrison Bankhead's second album confirms that ''Morning Sun Harvest Moon'' was no one-off fluke... emakes the case once again he's not only a first-rate bassist but a creator of adventurous jazz who deserves much wider notice. ''Velvet Blue'' confirms his ability to lead records that can stand right alongside the stronger records of his better-known bosses."

Peter Margasak Peter Margasak is a music critic, journalist, and artistic director of the annual Frequency Festival in Chicago, an event that grew out of his longstanding work programming the weekly Frequency Series for experimental, improvised, and contempora ...

, writing for the ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...

'', stated: "It's another diverse, satisfying effort from Bankhead, a bandleader who knows when to stay out of the way. Here's hoping the recordings and shows keep coming."

Track listing

# "Velvet Blue" – 15:15 # "After Hours" – 9:11 # "Right on It" – 6:41 # "Ancestors of the Pharoahs of Nabta Playa" – 9:08 # "Take It to the Bridge Ya'll" – 4:59 # "Rhythm of the Earth" – 13:55 # "A Sketch of Stravinski" – 13:55

Personnel

– bass, marimba, piano *

– alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, kalimba * Edward Wilkerson – tenor saxophone, clarinet, alto clarinet, didgeridoo, harmonica * Avreeayl Ra – drums, thumb piano

References

{{Reflist 2013 albums Harrison Bankhead albums