Billboard : 08/26/1957
Score of 71

An emphatic modern date that sports the thoughtful, melodic compositions of baritonist Melle, some fine blowing from the leader guitarist J. Cinderella plus stellar rhythmic support from S. Wilson and G. Duvivier. To sell its share, dealers help is needed; Melle is not well known, but deserving of wider recognition.

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Audio
Charles A. Robertson : November, 1957

Except for two tunes by Duke Ellington, the seven numbers on this album are all originals by Gil Melle, one of the few baritone sax players who owes little to Gerry Mulligan in the way of style or provocative ideas. Much of the difference lies in his warmer, rounder tone and a more subtle use of humor and satire. He also has enjoyed a working partnership for the past year with Joe Cinderella, whose lyric guitar becomes an equal voice in the quartet, interweaving with the horn or backing Melle in his solos. Melle passes a most rigid test when he quietly underlines the guitar choruses with long, lithe lines.

For the most part Melle’s writing consists of lively, well-thought exercises, sometimes of great technical difficulty, designed to show his versatility. But not to the neglect of the dramatic climax on Rush Hour in Hong Kong, Full House, and Quadrama. Dedicated to his wife, Jacqueline is a slow ballad, full of tenderness, and able to hold its own in such excellent company as Sentimental Mood and It Don’t Mean a Thing. Bassist George Duvivier shines on Walter Ego and Shadow Wilson, on drums, fills in with expert brushwork.

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San Bernardino County Sun
Jim Angelo : 09/21/1957

In like vein is baritone saxist Gil Melle, a Mulliganesque modernist who really swings. Bend an ear to Quadrama, provocative package of mainstream jazz which spotlights Melle’s quartet doing seven originals. Rush Hour in Hong Kong, Full House, and the title tune are standouts.

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Down Beat : 10/31/1957
Dom Cerulli : 4 stars

Gil is delivering on the promise he showed on his earlier excursions, both as a writer and an instrumentalist. His tone is deep and gutty, and his writing is fresh and bright. There is enough sustained interest throughout, despite the presence of the baritone as the single declarative voice. Cinerella comes into play contrapuntally and in solo framework, but Melle’s horn is dominant. I would like to hear Gil’s work spun out by three or four horns, it’s that interesting laterally.

Despite the presence of just horn and rhythm section, this is not a blowing session as such. The originals have character and quite often a good deal of humor. For instance, on the episodic Full House, there is a slyness, a furtiveness about the conception which suggests that the full house is very likely aces over. Jacqueline depicts musically a quiet, deep, sensitive person. Rush Hour is appropriately bustling. The title piece sounds curiously unfinished, and almost as if it should go back to the beginning after the final note to start all over again, forever.

The standards, except for a very blown Mood, are good but not up to the high mark set by the originals. Cinderella is very effective on all tracks, and Duvivier can only be described as tremendous. Wilson‘s support is solid. It’s time again to hear Melle in a larger, more challenging context.

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Liner Notes by Bob Altshuler

Gil Melle has been deeply interested in the possibilities of expanding the dimensions of jazz. He has sought to discover new means of expression which though advanced, could not be mistaken for anything but jazz. Or as Gil has put it, “if you lose the two fundamentals of jazz; swing, and the freedom of personal expression, it still may be music, but it won’t be jazz. Lately there has been a surfeit of so-called jazz musicians who talk and sound like longhairs.” This is not to say that Gil doesn’t know his way around in the “classical” areas of music. He does, and the slightest encouragement will bring on a perceptive analysis of the genius of Bach, Bartok, or any number of obscure modernists. However, as Gil insists, “I don’t want my music to sound as though I flopped over into someone else’s backyard. I guess I dig Bartok as much as I do Ellington or Parker, but I am not moving in the direction of Bartok or any other classical writer. I’m staying just ahead of the mainstream of jazz, where I belong musically. When the expressive techniques of a Bartok will enhance my writing, I will use them in my own personal way. Jazz can stand on its own feet. You would be amazed at how many classical composers have used jazz devices in their writing, and badly at that.”

In Quadrama and the two other albums on Prestige Primitive Modern – 7040, Gil’s Guests – 7063), Gil Melle proves that his is one of the most provocative minds in jazz today. Jazz Critic Nat Hentoff who has long admired Gil’s work describes his music as “the emotional product of a never-afraid-to-reach musician.” It is this combination of a musician who has something to say and the ability to communicate those ideas with fresh means that distinguishes Gil Melle from most jazz musicians.

A condition essential to the performance of Gil Melle’s music was the selection of the right musicians. Instrumentalists who could retain their personal (musical) points of view within the framework of Melle’s writing. Gil has enjoyed a musical partnership with guitarist Joe Cinderella for over a year. His exciting guitar work has been an ideal counterpart to Melle’s big, booting baritone sax. When recording time arrived, Gil was in luck, for bassist George Duvivier was in town. His huge-toned bass filled out the ensemble better than Gil imagined possible. George is known in the trade as the bassist “who can make everything”. The versatile drummer Shadow Wilson teamed up with Duvivier and kept everything and everyone moving together like a veteran combo.

Gil Melle had these comments to make about the music in this album:

Rush Hour In Hong Kong – A humorous title suggesting a humorous situation in ports East – hence, a quick, moving blues pattern of an impromptu nature.

Jacqueline – This is a ballad of dramatic character dedicated to my wife.

It Don’t Mean A Thing, If It Ain‘t Got That Swing – This is one of the myriads of great jazz compositions from the Ellington pen. Because of its extremely simple melodic content, and its unsure rhythmic construction, it lends itself well to modern harmonic treatment, and modern interpretation.

Sentimental Mood – Always one of my favorite ballads. I play it fairly straight and Joe manipulates it thru unfamiliar harmonic waters both skillfully and soulfully.

Walter Ego – A study for unison baritone and bass (being of a most difficult nature for execution on the bass surprisingly played with ease however by Duvivier). It is one melody with two personalities (that of the baritone and the bass).

Full House – One of two satires I composed recently. A lot of loose, free blowing in keeping with the character of the piece.

Quadrama – I interpret this term as a work or set of pieces written for four instruments to display musically several of the aspects of the drama, (humor, satire, etc.).