Larry Willis: I Fall In Love Too Easily

Pianist Larry Willis had a long and varied career before he passed away in September 2019, not even a month after he convened a quintet at the Van Gelder studio to record I Fall In Love Too Easily. Interestingly enough, it’s the same studio where he appeared for his first session in January 1965 for Jackie McLean’s Right Now! album. Over the decades, he was associated with McLean, Hugh Masekela, Joe Henderson, and Woody Shaw, among many others. His best known gigs were in the groups Blood, Sweat & Tears (1972-77) and The Fort Apache Band (1993-96). While he didn’t record much as a leader until the late Eighties, he made up for lost time with recordings on SteepleChase, Mapleshade, and HighNote. His crisp touch and deep blues orientation always make his work a pleasure to listen to, and this release is no exception. He’s joined here by fellow HighNote artist Jeremy Pelt on five tracks and alto saxophonist Joe Ford on four tunes, with Blake Meister on bass and the always-enjoyable Victor Lewis on drums. Ford was Wallis’ partner in the Fort Apache band and many other situations over a 30 year span. Ford’s Today’s Nights, a mid-tempo swinger, starts off the proceedings in style. Willis’ Heavy Blue follows, a quick funk line that the pianist first performed with Blood, Sweat & Tears back in 1976. The band is on fire for this one, with Lewis’ exciting drumming a key component. Santi Debriano’s Anna, a pretty ballad played by the rhythm section, cools things down considerably. Willis plays it tenderly and with great feeling. Kirk Lightsey’s Habiba, played at a finger-snapping tempo, becomes a real showcase for the horns. Ford is first, with an excited and fluent solo, then it’s Pelt’s turn to delve into the tune’s attractive melody. The Meaning of the Blues, a Bobby Troup composition from 1957, features an arrangement that puts the band to the test by having them play very slowly. Trumpeter Pelt takes the first solo gorgeously, and the success of this performance is never in doubt. The quiet mood is sustained on Let’s Play, a Willis original that served as the title song for a 1991 SteepleChase album and is played without the horns. Jack DeJohnette’s Climax was one of the numbers on the McLean date that began Willis’ recording career in 1965. He hadn’t put it on tape since then, so it’s interesting that it’s included here. The quintet has a ball with it, with powerful solos by Pelt and Ford. In his dynamite accompaniment and a brief solo, Victor Lewis proves once again why he’s been a first-call drummer since he first came on the scene in the mid-Seventies. Ending the set is a charming and insightful solo piano version of I Fall in Love Too Easily, the 1944 Jule Styne composition (with lyrics by Sammy Kahn) that’s been a favorite of improvisers ever since. It’s a truly lovely way to end the CD, and a fitting coda for a journeyman pianist. Recommended.
HighNote HCD 7326; Jeremy Pelt (tpt on 1,2,4,5,7) Joe Ford (as on 1,2,4,7) Larry Willis (p) Blake Meister (b, exc on 8) Victor Lewis (d, exc on 8); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September5, 2019; 1.Today’s Nights/ 2.Heavy Blue/ 3.Anna/ 4.Habiba/ 5.The Meaning of the Blues/ 6.Let’s Play/ 7.Climax/ 8.I Fall in Love Too Easily; 50:34. www.jazzdepot.com