Walter Beasley is in the envious position of enjoying mutually inclusive careers as both music educator and headlining performer. Indeed his tenure at Berklee College of Music, which now extends to over twenty years, seems to sit easily with the fourteen solo albums currently to his name. In fact it all started back in 1987 with his self titled debut and since then a string of recordings on Mercury, Shanachie and, most recently, Heads Up have seen him maintain a position as a major purveyor of soulful contemporary jazz. For his latest Heads Up recording ‘Free Your Mind’, which was released earlier this year, Beasley has teamed up with some of the best songwriters in the business to deliver an eclectic selection which serves as a commentary on the emotionally charged events that have recently impacted his life.
A case in point is the momentous political changes experienced in the USA over the last twelve months which here are perfectly articulated by the Phil Davis composition ‘Barack’s Groove’. With a title that needs little explanation it is spliced with an understated African beat and purrs with Beasley’s restrained sax. He stays in enticingly controlled mode for another Davis composition, ‘She Cant Help It’, but swiftly shifts gears to show off his versatility with the complexly jazzy ‘Message To Mark’. Featuring a smoky trumpet solo from Derek Cannon the tune is Beasley’s tribute to the late Mark Ledford and an accolade of a different kind comes courtesy of ‘Duke Zillia’. This sunshine filled Latin extravaganza into which Beasley pours a generous portion of his jazzy playing stands as his homage to the great George Duke who Beasley cites as one of his major musical influences.
Of course as well as being an accomplished sax player Beasley is also an outstanding singer and the quiet storm tinged ‘Love Calls’ gives him the chance to demonstrate his soulful tones. They are complemented to perfection by the seductively smooth vocals of the invariably excellent Lynne Fiddmont while back in familiar instrumental territory Beasley uses the poignant ‘Miss Minnie’ to pay his respects to the now deceased Minnie Dangerfield who was a close family friend and someone he often turned to for her wise council.
Amongst these very personal offerings a major feature of ‘Free Your Mind’ is the five outstanding tunes that are written and produced by Pieces of a Dream mainstay James K Lloyd. Of those, the cool vibe of the title cut is delightful and is lifted by the totally addictive hook that is a trademark of much of Lloyd’s best work. Equally good is the funkily mid tempo ‘Oh Yeah’. It comes complete with an irresistibly swaggering hook and the big brassy sound that permeates the chorus is replicated for ‘Shirlitta’ which is laced with an understated Latin vibe. However the best of Lloyd’s contributions and by consequence the best tracks on the album are ‘Just Breathe’ and ‘Steady As She Goes’. Totally ‘in the pocket’, and with Lloyd on keys scattering his magic far and wide, both serve as the ultimate showcase for Beasley’s melodic playing.
As the title suggests, ‘Free Your Mind’ and enjoy the music of Walter Beasley.
