Ode To Life
The quartet co-led by pianist Don Pullen and saxophonist George Adams made some of the very best jazz albums of the '80s (though most of them were available in the U.S. only as imports), andOde to Life, the second album by Pullen's African-Brazilian Connection, is dedicated to the late Adams. As a result, the album is elegiac and more subdued than Pullen's usual convulsions. It may not match Pullen's best work, but in its understated way, The African-Brazilian Connection reveals the pianist's gift for soulful melodies and romantic harmonies. And it's a wonderful showcase for Carlos Ward, whose work on alto sax and flute boasts a refined lyricism.--Geoffrey Himes