Cerebral Caverns by Reggie Workman

4 Stars… this entire team of spelunkers digs where we’ve seldom gone before, flooding dark chambers with their flashes of brilliance. What “Workman” brings to life on “Cerebral Caverns” is fantastically rare and rewards repeated listening.” – Down Beat MagazineReggie Workman color playing bass grimace GOODGeri Allen playing piano

Incorporating his straight-ahead and free Jazz influences with both classical and Eastern music sensitivities, Reggie Workman, maestro and former bassist for John Coltrane, has taken the next exciting step beyond his Postcards debut, “Summit Conference”, with this album entitled “Reggie Workman: Cerebral Caverns”. Also featuring renowned members of the Jazz elite, such as Al Foster, Julian Priester, and Geri Allen, this recording results in a cohesive album that boldly explores the wide and varied Jazz landscape.

“…aesthetically adventurous… …the innovative instrumentation and the vivid dynamics of the recorded sound make it a feast of new sonic colors, one ear thrill after another.” – Stereophile

The album fast forwards into the musical future, to a heady mix of traditional Jazz instrumentation combined with the added texture and flavors of harp, tablas, samples, and electronics. By varying the combination of players from piece to piece, Workman has produced a kaleidoscope of differing musical strata on this album, entitled, “Reggie Workman: Cerebral Caverns”. By using a broad and imaginative musical palette on this compelling recording, Workman not only pushes forward the bounds of Jazz, but also never fails to rivet the listener’s attention.

“Workman, continually stretching, exploring and experimenting, just might be the future of jazz.” – CMJ

Reggie Workman has long been one of the most technically gifted of all bassists, a brilliant player whose versatile style fits into both hard bop and very avant-garde settings. He played piano, tuba, and euphonium early on but settled on bass in the mid-’50s.

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