Elvin Jones / Jimmy Garrison Sextet featuring McCoy Tyner
Illumination!

★★★½

A fairly unrecognized and illusive session from three fourths of the great Coltrane quartet. Unlike the recordings of that quartet from this time, this album is quite accessible and swings very well. It's obvious that these horn players are not very experienced, or at least not as much as these veteran players who lead them. And their style of leading is not as direct as you'd think; they sort of set the outline for the horn players to fill in and it works wonderfully.

A hilariously titled "Nuttin' Out Jones" sets the pace and expectation for this album. Elvin is clear and crisp which allows Sonny Simmons and others to really provide their own flavors that are quite unique. Borrowing from both the "New Thing" concept that was current, as well as taking cues from the great masters who came before them. "Oriental Flower" follows more in that traditional line, with McCoy's light and ballad-like piano playing especially. 

The rhythm section on this album, as expected, is quite phenomenal. It sounds like everyone's having fun and the atmosphere is quite relaxed. The most "out" this album gets is probably on the track "Half and Half", but I think that BARELY qualifies as out at all. It's very lyrical and a pleasure to listen to. I really think the first three tracks remain supreme though, "Aborigine Dance in Scotland" is a bit silly and seems a bit out of place to me, and "Gettin' on Way" doesn't seem to keep my attention that well either. 

Thankfully "Just Us Blues" serves as a great closer and brings the whole session back around. It's also one of the more soulful tunes on here; very easy and rewarding to hum to. This album is also unusually short, at only thirty one minutes you feel as if you were robbed a bit from what great takes there must've been. Besides that, it's a fun listen with a great lineup. 

Favorite Song: Half and Half

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