Emily Remler • Cookin' at the Queens
 hen guitarist Emily Remler passed away from heart failure in 1990,
the jazz world lost not just a musician whose prime was not reached -- she was only 32 --
but a strong, distinctive musical voice. She released just seven recordings during her
lifetime, six on the Concord label. While Remler was a modern jazz guitarist, her playing
hearkened back to the music's golden age, especially the work of Wes Montgomery.
Montgomery pinched out chords with the side of his thumb, which softened his attack and
enriched his tone. In a 1982 People magazine interview, Remler proclaimed
Montgomery's influence: "I may look like a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey, but
inside I'm a 50-year-old, heavy-set black man with a big thumb, like Wes Montgomery."
None of this background will prepare you for the music on Cookin' at the Queens, which was released in November for the Record Store Day Black Friday sale. It is Remler's first posthumous recording and first released in over three decades. The live recording has some of the hottest, most intense playing I've heard from any recent release. While listening, it's easy to envision Remler as she is shown on the cover: eyes closed, completely lost in the music. Her playing seems to come from somewhere below consciousness, from "the zone" that musicians sometimes cite. The set begins with "Moanin'," written by Bobby Timmons and made famous as the opening cut of the classic Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers album of the same name. It's a crack version, a tribute to an important jazz ensemble, and it foreshadows the rest of the music captured on the three LPs -- all covers, with a healthy dose of jazz classics. The latter include both "Autumn Leaves" and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," made famous by Bill Evans on his early trio sets; "Samba De Orfeo" and "Manha de Carnival," which Vince Guaraldi included on Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus; and "All Blues" and "So What," both from Kind of Blue. Each is given a reading that is respectful of the tune's heritage while allowing the musicians room to roam. Remler pays homage to Wes Montgomery on two of his best-known numbers, "West Coast Blues" and "D-Natural Blues." Here she gives readings that sound both fresh and reminiscent of the originals, with solos that are nearly hypnotic. If you want jazz that sounds classic and brand new at the same time, Cookin' at the Queens provides it in abundance. This is yet another find for "Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman, who shares co-producer credit with writer Bill Milkowski. The tapes, which were stored in the UNLV archive, collect music from two different concerts held at The Four Queens Club in Las Vegas in 1984 and 1988. The first features a quartet with pianist Cocho Arbe, bassist Carson Smith and drummer Tom Montgomery; the second captures a trio with bassist Smith and drummer John Pisci. For 14 years, beginning in March 1982, DJ, producer and musician Alan Grant hosted Monday Night Jazz at the Four Queens, which featured top talent whose sets were recorded and rebroadcast on National Public Radio's Jazz Night From Las Vegas show. The club ended its run in September 1996, after the hotel and casino filed for bankruptcy. Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and Woody Shaw were among those who played for the series, so perhaps we'll see sets from them in the future.
The extensive liner notes include a photo of the cans in which the master tapes were stored, underscoring that this is a purist affair. John Veselack and Brian Sanders were the recording engineers for the two sessions, and Bernie Grundman did the mastering. All deserve credit for the uniformly terrific sound across sets four years apart. It's well defined and redolent with fine details, especially Remler's guitar, which purrs with vivid presence. Only 1400 copies were pressed and available on Black Friday, but you can still find some at the retail price. I've been to Las Vegas many times, unfortunately not
while The Four Queens Club was hosting jazz greats on Monday nights. I definitely would
have made the trip to the old part of the Strip to hear Emily Remler, a young jazz
guitarist who was also an old jazz soul. If you don't know her work, this LP set (CDs are
also available) is a potent introduction to her fierce, soulful playing. |
