The Challenge is a solo piano album by Hampton Hawes. It was recorded in 1968 and released by Victor. It was his only solo album.
| The Challenge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1968 | |||
| Recorded | May 7, 9, 12, 1968 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Victor | |||
| Hampton Hawes chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording and music
editThe solo piano album was recorded in Tokyo on May 7, 9, and 12, 1968.[1] The project was "a result of a Japanese producer's enthusiasm for Hawes's music."[2]
The material includes jazz standards, the contemporary pop song "Who Can I Turn To?", and three Hawes originals.[3] All except "Bags' Groove" are short performances.[2] Hawes uses "contrapuntal left-hand lines, doubtless compensating for the absence of bass and drums."[2]
Release and reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz |  [2] |
The Challenge was released by Victor in Japan.[2] The AllMusic reviewer concluded: "the pianist shows that he could create stirring music without the assistance of a rhythm section."[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz commented that the album was important for being Hawes's only solo release, and noted that even the unsuccessful performance of "Clementine" provided the listener with an insight into "Hawes's harmonic instincts and his fine structural intelligence."[2]
Track listing
edit- "Hamp's Blues"
- "Summertime"
- "What's New?"
- "It Could Happen to You"
- "My Romance"
- "Autumn Leaves"
- "Just One of Those Things"
- "Who Can I Turn To?"
- "Bags' Groove"
- "Clementine"
- "Young People's Tune"
- "Shinjuku"
Personnel
edit- Hampton Hawes – piano
References
edit- ^ "Hampton Hawes Catalog". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (1992). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP & Cassette (1st ed.). Penguin. p. 491. ISBN 978-0-14-015364-4.
- ^ a b c Yanow, Scott. "Hampton Hawes – The Challenge". AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2018.