by Thom JurekRecorded in 1974, Ray Bryant's In the Cut is the one recording in his career that stands out from all the others -- not necessarily because it is the best thing he ever cut, but because it is unlike anything in his vast oeuvre. Bryant and producer Esmond Edwards set out to make a contemporary album while the great pianist was with Cadet. No solo, no trio, no quartet -- this time out, Bryant's In the Cut is recorded with a full-on big band playing everything from contemporary soul tunes (such as the Jacksons' "I'll Be There," which opens this remarkable offering) to his own hard bop blues numbers such as "Cool Struttin'" and the title track to tough line-punchers like Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man." The entire Cadet house band was involved in this baby, including Charles Stepney, who did all the horn and, yes, string arrangements (and plays some synth, too). Bryant also plays a fair amount of electric piano here, and is accompanied by, among others, guitarists Jimmy Ponder and John Tropea, bassists Stanley Clarke and Ron Carter, drummer Jimmy Johnson, percussionist and conguero Montego Joe, trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Joe Wilder, and George Marge on tenor, flute, and oboe. The sound of In the Cut is literally startling. Bryant's trademark gait on the piano is immediate from the very opening bars of "I'll Be There," with its gospel and melodic blues touch, but when Clarke's funky bassline backed by Johnson's drums pops in and the guitars roll out, it's a whole new ball game -- especially when the lithe and lilting flute of Marge accents Bryant's beautiful fat chords on the melody and his comping, which creates an alternate bassline. When the horns enter full-force, it's a new sound world -- disorienting, yes, especially if you can't let yourself get beyond what Bryant's "normal" m.o. is. But the groove -- gentle, soulful, and pronounced -- is everywhere in these tracks. ... Read More...