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Rating: Losing the habit of writing is a bit like losing sleep: you toss and turn among the sheets, searching for a thought that will grant you a few hours of impatient, healthy sleep. Just as your unease grows when you listen to beautiful records like this and become aware that you're no longer used to expressing to others what it's conveying to you.
So, with that said, I'll start from pure and basic observations: this record is volcanic.
You can tell from the very first beats, indeed from the very first upbeat notes of an always adored and adorable Freddie Hubbard in "Them There Eyes", immediately followed by the unmistakable sound of Maestro Joe Henderson. In short, Chaka, even though usually accustomed to "other", seems to swim blithely and perfectly at ease in a sea of fresh and modern swing, accompanied by the indisputable "nobility of jazz": Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson, as mentioned earlier, on trumpet and sax, Chick Corea, who needs no introduction, and personally, one of the most beautiful rhythm sections in history, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White (bass and drums). An ensemble definitely effervescent, to bring a bit of oxygen back to the lungs of standard jazz, overly worn and weary and almost asleep over the years.
A breath of freshness, therefore, evident in the wonderful "All of Me", presented in the alternative take that seems almost more beautiful and lively than the first, perhaps also thanks to the intro of an unmistakable Chick. Following is "I Mean You", where the superb and propulsive arrangements stand out, involving the horn section, rhythm section, voice, and the entire ensemble.
The solos on this album succeed each other lively, dynamic, and full of the personality of each individual performer: there are no endless choruses of improvisations, which do nothing but divert the listener's attention (who instead finds themselves unconsciously catapulted and immersed fully into the beat of the pieces). Even in "I Love You Porgy", with Gershwin-like beauty and sweetness, the innovative arrangements and solos gently accompany the unmistakably "black" voice of a very inspired Chaka Khan.
In the title list follows "Take The A Train", which would definitely be Duke's pride if he had the chance to listen to this album; Chaka's solo is also beautiful, unconventional, and definitely very personal, as always.
The following tracks, "I Hear Music" and "High Wire", once again confirm the overall sound, where all the elements that traditionally compose a jazz performance (solos, arrangements, theme, etc.) merge homogeneously into a perfect amalgam of modernity and tradition.
The final piece is the beautiful ballad "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", featuring Chaka and Chick in a duo in a magical and lyrically rich atmosphere.
The birth year of this masterpiece is the distant 1982, but who would say that? Once you reach the last notes (including an interview with Freddie Hubbard and Chaka Khan added as a bonus track), you can't help but breathe a nostalgic and sweet sigh, accompanied by a healthy and happy smile of satisfaction.
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