Joe Chambers has been one of great drummers to come out of the sixties: the "Post-Bop" period. Joe has contributed to the scene not only as a drummer, but also as a multi-instrumentalist who can handle mallet instruments, a pianist and a composer as well. Joe Chambers can lay claim to a place alongside such innovative artists as Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner and Bobby Hutcherson. Chambers' intense drumming, a trademark blend of cymbal-driven forward motion, deep rhythmic continuity, and explosive creativity, graced many landmark albums which fostered one of the most fertile eras in recent jazz memory. Chambers' credits include Hubbard's Breaking Point, Hutcherson's Components, Shorter's Schizophrenia and Etcetra, Hill's Compulsion, and Tyner's Tender Moments, as well as Archie Shepp's New Thing at Newport, Charles Mingus' Like a Bird, and Chick Corea's Tones for Joan's Bones and many others.
A conservatory trained musician, Chambers' compositions have been covered by Hutcherson, Hubbard, and M'Boom. More recently, folowing a handful of fine solo recordings, Chambers scored soundtracks for several Spike Lee films, including Mo' Better Blues. Still, for all his accomplishments, Joe Chambers is a very humble, almost self-deprecating musician. For all the profound music of which he's played a role, Chambers views his legacy as a day in the life. "When we were making those records we weren't thinking about making history, we were just doing it at the time. You have to realize, I was engrossed in all the subplots of the '60s. In those days it was a different mind set. It was tied to the anti-establishment, anti-war peace and love thing. I was hooked up with that. We didn't talk about peace and love, but we were definitely spaced out. We were making the music."
In his Savant debut "The Outlaw", Chambers offers a release that showcases his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist and composer. Playing not only drums, but piano, vibes, marimba, synthesizer and writing all the arrangements and composing three of the tunes himself, Chambers The Outlaw manages to look to the past while, at the same time, keeping a solid eye on the future. While Joe has his attention on other instruments he has asked the fabulous percussionist Bobby Sanabria to take over those duties. Sanabria displays no small amount of his own versatility here, playing Brazilian, African and all sorts of exotic percussion instruments.
Selected Discography
-As a leader-New York Concerto: Joe Chambers & Friends. Bay State, RVC-RJL 0918 Chamber Music: Bay State, RVC-RJL 6070 Joe Chambers Plays Piano: Denon, PCM-YX 7803 Double Exposure: Muse, 5165 New World: Finite, 1976-2 The Almoravid: Muse, 5035 The Super Jazz Trio: Tommy Flanagan, Joe Chambers Reggie Workman- Bay State, RVC-RVJ 6033 The Super Jazz Trio: The Standard- Bay State, RVC-RVJ 6089 M’Boom Re-percussion: Bay State, RVC-RVJ 6001 M’Boom: Columbia, JC 30766 M’Boom: Collage- Soul Note, 1059 Phantom Of The City: Candid, CCD 79517 Colossal Saxophone Sessions: Evidence, ECD-122130-2 M’Boom: Live At S.O.B.’s – Mesa-Blue Moon, R2-7912 Trio De Jaiz: King Records, KICJ-254 Mirrors: Blue Note, 72434 9668522-V The Outlaw: Savant, SCD 2069
-Recordings as a percussionist with other leaders-
Bobby Hutcherson
Dialogue: Blue Note, 4198
Components: Blue Note, 4213
Happenings: Blue Note, 4214
Patterns: Blue Note, LT 1044
Spiral: Blue Note, LT996
Total Eclipse: Blue Note. 84291
Now: Liberty/United Artis, BST 84333
Live At The Festival: Enja, 2030
Wayne Shorter
Etcetera: Blue Note, LT 1056
All Seeing Eye: Blue Note, 4219
Adams Apple: Blue Note, 4232
Schizophrenia: Blue Note, LT 1056
Archie Shepp
New Thing At Newport: Impulse, AS 94
Fire Music: Impulse
Mama Too Tight: Impulse, AS 9134
On This Night: Impulse
For Losers: ABC Paramount
Chick Corea
Tones For Jones Bones: Atlantic 2004
Inner Space: Atlantic
Three Pianos: Atlantic
Freddie Hubbard
Breaking Point: Blue Note
Rose Tattoo: Bay State, RVC-RJL 8095-8
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus & Friends: Live At Carnegie Hall. Columbia, 31614
Like A Bird: Atlantic, SD-8804
Me, Myself, An Eye: Atlantic, SD-8893
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