Gil Melle was a 20th century renaissance man, a unique individual with wide interests and many talents. In his life he wrote over 125 film scores, was a pioneer in experimenting with electronic music, built computers and synthesizers, was a notable painter, piloted planes, restored automobiles and airplanes, and was a visual artist whose art was used on the cover of records by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk. Musically he never stood still or fit easily into any category. Early on Melle was a highly skilled baritone-saxophonist with his own sound and approach, performing at the Village Vanguard before he was even old enough to have a drivers license. Patterns In Jazz from 1956 is Gil Melle's definitive straight-ahead jazz recording. The music is colorful and adventurous, laidback but eminently approachable. Teamed in a quintet with trombonist Eddie Bert and guitarist Joe Cinderella, the emphasis is on low tones, bright colors and surprising patterns, whether on Melle’s originals or inventive rearrangements of “Moonlight In Vermont” and “Long Ago And Far Away”. Blue Note engineer Rudy Van Gelder seemed to have a special affinity for Melle’s music since all of the Melle sessions recorded in Van Gelder’s studio are sonically exceptional, including this one. The music on this rare gem is as unique, unusual and memorable as is Gil Melle himself. |
