How Little We Know

Featuring; Jeff Hackworth tenor saxophone Norman Simmons piano Peter Washington bass Chip White drums Peter Hand guitar Produced by Houston Person Engineered, mixed and mastered by Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs NJ liner notes by Bob Porter WBGO... This delightful album of straight-ahead jazz is played by a tenor saxophonist whose name may be new to you but whose methods are part of a long, tried-and-true tradition. Jeff Hackworth plays in the spirit of master tenor players such as Gene Ammons, Stanley Turrentine and Houston Person. Jeff was born in 1957 in Ohio but raised in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo was responsible for bringing us talent such as Don Menza, Lonnie Smith and Spider Martin among many others. Jeff has worked around Buffalo with an organ trio and spent time on the road in such diverse settings as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (Buddy Morrow edition) and the band of Matt Guitar Murphy, who served Memphis Slim so well for so long. While in Buffalo, Jeff came in contact with musicians and fans that frequented the Pine Grill. The Pine Grill was remembered as a place to hear the major black talent of the day (50s & 60s) but it had disappeared by the time Jeff came on the scene. While the clubs he worked were a step or two removed from the heyday, Jeff was able to absorb the tradition of how to play for that demanding audience. The education he gleaned from that experience has remained with him to this day. Houston Person put together the rhythm section of New York-based pros, all of whom are well known in their own right and need no introduction here. Person and Jeff collaborated on the material and while much of it is familiar, none of it is overdone. Teddy Edwards wrote Sunset Eyes, Duke Ellington wrote the bluesy, I'm Just A Lucky So And So and Buddy Johnson wrote They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool, which is given an exemplary reading here. The remainder is from the vast repository of the Great American Songbook. While in Buffalo, Jeff Hackworth cut a CD with an organ trio but this effort is more likely to bring his talent before a wider audience. Jeff is living in the New York City area at this writing and is filling his time working club dates and backing pop singers while waiting for an opening. I'm confident such a break will happen since talent such as his is bound to rise to the top. BOB PORTER WBGO review from jazzchicago.net by Brad Walseth... Tenor saxophonist Jeff Hackworth grew up in Buffalo, New York, which many people might not know has a long tradition of having an active jazz scene. Hackworth cut his teeth playing for demanding club audiences in the area, as well as stints on the road with hard-driving bandleaders Matt Guitar Murphy Buddy Morrow (in his version of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra). The traditions passed down to him, as well as his rigorous apprenticeship, have served to produce a player whose style and sound exhibits both charm as well as technique. Hackworth is now located in New York City and has recently released a fine album of standards called How Little We Know. Produced by Houston Person and engineered by the legendary jazz engineer, Rudy Van Gelder, the album is a throwback to the days when musicians played Songs. Not that this is soppy, old-fashioned stuff. Person assembled a strong supporting cast of real players for his protg, including Norman Simmons on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Chip White on drums. Guitarist Peter Hand joins the core group on several cuts, and the ensemble plays wonderfully together, providing an energetic backdrop for their session leader. With a big, bold sound without being overbearing, Hackworth's sound has been compared to sax players like Stanley Turrentine, Gene Ammons, and Person himself. He can growl or play it silky smooth, but it is Hackworth's strong sense of melody that really stands out. His song choices range from Teddy Edwards' Sunset Eyes, Buddy Johnson's They All Say I'm the Biggest Fool, to Hammerstein & Kern's Why Do I Love You, and Duke's bluesy I'm Just a Lucky So and So, provin