Various Artists, A Day In the Life: Impressions of Pepper (Impulse!, 2018)

One of the recordings I’ve come back to pretty regularly in the last couple of years is Wes Montgomery’s cover of “A Day In the Life” (https://youtu.be/psvs4axQ10A?si=G_bbudbgqUuGyJb8) recorded for A&M/CTI records in 1967. Interestingly, it was recorded literally a few days after Sgt. Pepper’s was released. I discovered this particular record from the musician/writer Ethan Iverson, who, in a post to his twitter account, had some negative things to say about it. His main complaint, which I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with, is that Wes and his band don’t really know what to do with the Paul parts of the song and the arranged schmaltz takes over. Fair. But, man, the groove up until that point is pretty unimpeachable.  The way in which Wes’ performance manages to be both deeply funky and deeply melancholic (the later keeping with the overall tone of John’s parts). 

The Beatles’ songbook was an obvious, if not exactly natural, choice for jazz musicians to cover in the 1960s. Some jazz musicians like Count Basie (https://youtu.be/uf-DrTuDbvU?si=Jf3RWWKAEnQ-lNNQ), Ramsey Lewis (https://youtu.be/xfakeKbW2wg?si=Pq4jLqM-bpm211Lm) and George Benson (https://youtu.be/b6IDWgIjH6I?si=lMTmoqwo5ix3ukxt) would devote entire albums to Beatles’ songs. In fact, Wes’ cover isn’t even the only jazz cover of that particular song in 1967: Gabor Szabo, the great Hungarian jazz guitarist, did a slightly disappointing (mostly due to the very “up with people” vocals) version on his Wind, Sky and Diamonds album (along with a better version of “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds”) (https://youtu.be/LjKvr3z4f4U?si=CnpmcHYPHG2mnM7p). Jazz covers of Beatles songs in the 60s were produced mostly to soundtrack discotheques, dinner parties and, perhaps, lure some unsuspecting kids into the lifelong addiction that is jazz. 

The album A Day In the Life doesn’t leave the listener wondering why such an object might exist in 2018: “After recently taking the helm of the Verve Label Group for Universal Music, I thought it would be fitting to pay tribute to this iconic masterpiece, as well as tip our hat to our own legendary Impulse! Records, which has equally stood the test of time.” I want to preface my following comments by saying that I like this record and enjoy listening to it often. Yet, the more things change the more they stay the same. Writing this the week a “new” Beatles single was released (the perfectly fine “Now And Then”), it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Beatles sells (whether in 1967 or in 2023). So after relaunching (yet again) the Impulse! Records imprint, what better way to get people interested than doing what CTI records clearly did in the late 60s and early 70s. 

That said, I do agree with the following statement on the copy: “this recording showcases the most meaningful up-and-coming and established artists that are taking the new jazz scene by storm” (okay, I agree with the sentiment, not that faux—or is it?—60s label PR language). For example, Makaya McCraven is arguably the most important artist working in jazz today (releasing his own records on the gold standard International Anthem label). His “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds” is probably the highlight of the whole set and is essential listening (https://youtu.be/XEKtUzSFhPs?si=sCPLTzym2v4uYnQa). Brandee Younger’s take on “Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite” channels the pop psychedelia of the great Dorothy Ashby’s brilliant Cadet records Afro-Harping and The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby. (https://youtu.be/o4Asx_osRYY?si=t9IxFTKzRrDMcy49) Brandee Younger and Dezron Douglas (who is also on bass here) released my favorite record of 2020 Force Majeure, a deeply moving record that is one of the essential works from the pandemic era. (https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/force-majeure)

Shabaka Hutchings working with his group The Ancestors, offers a rolling, minimalist, highly rhythmic saxophone driven reading of “Good Morning, Good Morning.” (https://youtu.be/3JOBsR65QOA?si=2pY_GKOUK-rMkXWy) Though it bares little resemblance to the original (each entry varies with regard to their fidelity to the original Pepper tracks), the music  demonstrates again how the next generation of jazz artists understands the task of interpretation in their playing. Shabaka has almost too much good music to name just one or even two of his ensembles, but his Impulse! Records released as The Comet Is Coming and Sons of Kismet are both worth checking out. 

Beyond that, most of the album is good: I enjoy Mary Halvorson’s loopy guitar cover of “With a Little Help From My Friends” and Sullivan Fortner’s piano cover of “When I’m Sixty-Four” which re-imagines Paul McCartney’s music hall ditty in the hands of Art Tatum or Fats Waller tickling the ivories. I imagine Macca would approve. In fact, I imagine all the Beatles would be pleased by the care and interest each one of these talented musicians took in covering their music. 

⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️