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JazzDigger Home > B - Jazz Artists > Ginger Baker > Item 4
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Coward of the County
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by DJQ20 and Ginger Baker
Sales Rank: 191564
Price:$12.98
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Album Details
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1. Cyril Davies - Ginger Baker, Baker, Ginger
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2. Ginger Spice
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3. Dangle the Carrot - Ginger Baker, Baker, Ginger
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4. Megan Showers
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5. Jesus Loves Me
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6. Coward of the County
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7. Daylight
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8. Jesus, I Just Want to Go to Sleep
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It s one thing to be acclaimed as a great rock musician, but when the jazz guys start lining up to play with you, you know you got chops to burn! Ginger Baker s heralded, early- 90s collaborations with Bill Frisell had already established his jazz credibility, but on this record he took another step forward as a bandleader, enlisting trumpeter Ron Miles and bassist Artie Moore and a shifting group of local Denver musicians in the DJQ20 (Denver Jazz Quintet-to-Octet), and recording this marvelously eclectic 1999 gem. Rooted in hard bop, Coward takes unpredictable turns into funk, rock, free jazz and even a little country (witness the pedal steel on the title track), with excellent writing contributions from Miles. A Collectors Choice Music exclusive from one of the great drummers of our time!
Editorial Reviews
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Listener Reviews & Comments
Having been a Ginger Baker fan for years, his recent explorations into his jazz roots have been equally inspiring, though at times uneven, excursions. Still, Coward of the County, stands as perhaps his most consistently solid jazz release from top to bottom. The DJQ2O provide him with a wonderful line up of the best jazz musicians Denver has to offer. Toss the great James Carter into the mix and you have a fine recording which swings with heartfelt emotion. Baker adopts the role of complimentary supporter as oppossed to lead man and graciously allows his fellow musicians virtually unlimited space to step to the forefront.This is truly ensemble playing at its best. Most of the tracks are composed by Ron Miles and his trumpet playing is outstanding throughout. Carter's saxophone along with that of Fred Hess also take the music down roads ranging from avant-garde improvisatory fire to sweet melodic ballad interpretations. The title track is a wonderfully atmospheric tune featuring haunting keyboard and lovely cymbalic coloring by Baker. Those who think Ginger is merely a basher will have second thoughts upon listening to this track. Dangle the Carrot, one of two Baker compositions here, explodes from the gate and swings like mad. Baker's brief solo is proof positive that the 60 year old drummer can still burn with the best of them. It is also noteworthy that this represents his only solo on the album. Jesus Loves Me is a jumble of odd time signatures that somehow manages to work. Actually there isn't a weak track on the entire CD. The only complaint is that Baker, as time has gone on,has opted to play music which, with each effort, seems hell-bent on distancing himself farther and farther from the guitar-laced rock for which he built his reputation. This is certainly his perogative but those expecting to hear Baker slam away behind aggresive rock-oriented music, and he's always been the best at it, might find this release a disappointment.Even his work with Bill Frissel and Charlie Haden had enough of that sort of thing to thrill fans longing to hear post-Cream revisted. On this release, there's not a guitar featured spotlight anywhere. Instead the guitar is used for color and texture only. Still, this is splitting hairs. Coward of the County is a fine overall effort from one of this generation's legendary and definitive drummers.
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Coward of the County
by DJQ20 and Ginger Baker
Price:$12.98
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