Just about anyone interested in modern jazz is a George Cables enthusiast. Dexter Gordon was a big fan of the pianist, and so was Art Pepper, good company to keep. Alto saxophonist Frank Morgan was also a devotee of Mr. Cables, and he had a following when he reappeared on the scene after a lengthy incarceration. Which makes the appearance of Montreal Memories, with the Frank Morgan/George Cables duo captured live on stage, a cause for real celebration. Appearing at the Théatre Port-Royal as part of the 1989 Montréal Jazz Festival, the pair’s enthusiasm, superb musicianship and intimate rapport are apparent from the first bars of Now’s the Time. That’s the first of three Charlie Parker compositions in the set, along with Confirmation and Billie’s Bounce. And of course Parker, the key influence on Morgan’s music, frequently performed Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia and Monk’s ‘Round Midnight, two other duo selections. There are also two Cables originals, Lullaby and his best-known piece, the enduring Helen’s Song, first recorded on an album by California guitarist Bruce Forman in 1984. Blues For Rosalinda, an original blues by Morgan, dedicated to his long-time companion, artist Rosalinda Kolb, the Kern-Hammerstein evergreen All the Things You Are and Wayne Shorter’s Nefertiti, in a medley with Billie's Bounce, complete the program. Morgan, who called the tunes for the pair, was acutely interested in melodies, and he picked some of the best for this gig. As Cables tells Patricia Willard for her liner notes, he was “the guy dealing with energy” while Morgan was “dealing with lyricism.” The two men had an exceptionally beautiful musical relationship, and it’s all here. Highly recommended.
HighNote HCD 7320; Frank Morgan (as) George Cables (p); Montréal, Canada, July 1, 1989; Now’s the Time/ All the Things You Are/ A Night in Tunisia/ ‘Round Midnight/ Confirmation/ Blues For Rosalinda/ Helen’s Song/ Lullaby/ Medley: Nefertiti; Billie’s Bounce; 61:07. www.jazzdepot.com
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