Charles Tolliver / Music Inc. - Live at the Captain's Cabin (Reel to Real, 2024)
It starts off with a splash. Live at the Captain’s Cabin was recorded in Edmonton, Alberta on a warm June Canadian night in an underground jazz club located beneath a grocery store. Tolliver had a long jazz pedigree behind him, having worked with Jackie MacLean, Horace Silver, Max Roach and more, but here in 1973, it’s all Tolliver and his quartet featuring John Hicks (piano), Clint Houston (bass), and Cliff Barbaro (drums).
Back to the album’s entry splash, it’s the Houston penned “Black Vibrations” which is an excitingly ambitious way to start the album or a live set. The recording released by Reel to Real for this year’s Black Friday Record Store Day is gutsy, in your face; there might be a few tape artifacts present from the two-channel recording it was sourced from, but the recording features a pleasing soundstage that transports a listener right to the stage. And I mean, like on the stage, like I can see the grain on the wood floor and what’s plugged into what electrical socket. And that’s a good thing. The audience sounds larger than the 100+ capacity that the liner notes describe, but they are distant: you’re not sitting with them, you’ve got a VIP seat in the wings nearest the musicians.
And great liner notes, by the way. There’s an excellent introduction by Corey Weeds from Reel to Real, an essay by Angélika Beener, an interview with Charles Tolliver by Jeremy Pelt, and an interview with Marc Vasey (a musician and the original owner of the tapes). The interview with Tolliver himself is particularly revealing in regards to how important drums and percussion have been to his work. Given the rhythmic drive of the majority of Live at The Captain’s Cavern, this is not surprising!
And let’s talk about the bass. There’s plenty of upright to be heard and - again - it’s vividly real - - all lacquer drenched with perspiration and a never-ending thump highlighting Houston’s impressive dexterity and groove. And that’s not just on the numbers with a quick tempo, his authority is apparent in mid-tempo tracks like the moody, late-night, midtown feel of “Truth”.
And - of course there’s Tolliver: sturdy, confident, every inch a leader, no doubt. His compositions - 5 out of 7 - are all sturdy pieces supplying this energetic group with ample material to strut their stuff; both individually and collectively.
Poly lined inner sleeves included (thank you) and an excellent pressing make this a release to keep an eye out for. The noise-free grooves give the player’s solos space to breathe, and listeners a chance to focus without distraction. Reel to Real have created a package that ticks a lot of boxes and was assembled with love and respect.
Live at the Captain's Cabin is an excellent archival release showcasing a group at the top of their game who revel in adding extra heat to an early summer night in the Great White North.
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