Donald Byrd: Cristo Redentor
Musicians:
Donald Byrd (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Herbie Hancock (piano), Lex Humphries (drums), Butch Warren (bass),
Donald Best (vibes), the Coleridge Perkinson Choir
.Recorded: Englewood Cliffs, N.J., January 12, 1963
Rating: 85/100 (learn more)
A New Perspective was unique at the time in that it featured a jazz combo in conjunction with a small gospel choir. One of Duke Pearson’s two compositions for the album (he did all five arrangements), the hymn-like “Cristo Redentor” (Christ the Redeemer) achieved a degree of popularity of its own. Its melancholy, wordless vocal melody and slow-moving, repetitive minor harmony create a somber, reverential mood. Byrd stays close to the tune in his solo, while Herbie Hancock fills in the background with blues-infused piano figures.
Reviewer: David Franklin
Tags: blue note · hard bop · trumpet
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