Joe Chambers - The Almoravid 1974

Joe Chambers is an extremely versatile and tasteful master of all post-bop idioms. Chambers drives an ensemble with a light hand; his time is excellent and his grasp of dynamics superb. He's not a flashy drummer by any means, but he's a generous collaborator who makes any group of which he's a part as good as it can possibly be. Chambers worked around Washington, D.C., in his late teens. After moving to New York in 1963, he played with Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Giuffre, and Andrew Hill. In the mid-'60s, Chambers played with a number of the more progressively inclined musicians associated with the Blue Note label, such as vibist Bobby Hutcherson and saxophonists Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, and Sam Rivers. In 1970, Chambers joined Max Roach's percussion ensemble, M'Boom, as an original member. During the '70s, Chambers played with a great many of jazz's most prominent elder statesmen, including Sonny Rollins, Tommy Flanagan, Charles Mingus, and Art Farmer. With Flanagan and bassist Reggie Workman, Chambers formed the Super Jazz Trio. In the late '70s, he co-led a band with organist Larry Young. Chambers recorded with bands led by trumpeter Chet Baker and percussionist Ray Mantilla in the early '80s. He's maintained his association with Roach into the '90s. Chambers has recorded infrequently as a leader; his output as a sideman, however, continues to be sizable.

Drummer Joe Chambers' first album as a leader (cut for Muse and reissued on this 1998 CD by 32 Jazz) actually contains two selections apiece from three different sessions. Two cuts are from 1971 and match Chambers with trumpeter Woody Shaw, trombonist Garnett Brown, Harold Vick on tenor and flute, keyboardist George Cables, and bassist Cecil McBee. On October 8, 1973 Chambers, Cedar Walton, and bassist Richard Davis were joined by three percussionists, while the November 1, 1973 session has Chambers and electric bassist Walter Booker recording with the same trio of percussion players. Overall, four of the pieces are Chambers' originals while there is one song apiece from Joe Zawinul and Andrew Hill. In most cases, the leader's drums and the percussionists are in the forefront, the individual selections have weak themes and, although the complex rhythms are intriguing, the music is not all that memorable. Perhaps if the selections had been programmed as a suite or if there was some logical development from tune to tune, then this well-intentioned effort would have been more successful.

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