It's About Time!

Octogenarian drummer and bandleader Chico Hamilton decided to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of his album as a leader (a 10" disc for Pacific Jazz featuring guitarist Howard Roberts and bassist George Duvivier) by returning to a similar format with his current trio, guitarist Cary DeNigris and electric bassist Paul Ramsey, both of whom have worked with Hamilton for years. While only one song is reprised from the 1955 record (the late Jimmy Cheatham's "Nuttye"), the musicians come up with a number of memorable performances. Hamilton's mallet vamp on the tom-toms gives the standard "Autumn in New York" an exotic, somewhat ominous flavor. Hamilton's "Nod to Gabor" salutes his former guitarist of the 1960s, the flamboyant "Gabor Szabo." Hamilton introduces the intricate "Nuttye" alone, then the guitarists join him for this turbulent bop vehicle. While the timing of this EP CD is a little short at under 29 minutes (probably to simulate the length of the early 10" records), this release represents a jazz master who is still very much at the top of his game during his golden years.