Ben Riley - Weaver of Dreams (Joken, 1993)

Ben Riley, drums
Ralph Moore, tenor sax
Buster Williams, bass

Recorded August 6, 1993
Systems Two, Brooklyn
Engineer: Joe Marciano

I have a short "brushes with fame" story to tell. I usually play jazz at home throughout the day, so when workers come to deliver appliances or fix them, they sometimes ask about the music. One of those gentlemen obviously appreciated the sounds he was hearing, and he shared that his father was a drummer who had worked with Thelonious Monk. I quickly asked if he was Ben Riley's son, and he said he was. I told him I had lots of albums his father played on, including Weaver of Dreams. Turns out that was the son's favorite of his dad's albums.

Weaver of Dreams programs eight well-known numbers, all ranging between 6 and 8 minutes in length, plus an exotic 3:39 minute drum solo at the end. The group pieces allow for solos by all members. "Solar" is the most energetic, but each selection is dynamic in its own right. Riley's solos are lyrical, traversing the entire kit from kick bass to toms and snares to cymbals. He prefers sticks to brushes, and his solos all sound complete. 

Ralph Moore's unique tone is in top form on Weaver of Dreams, as is his "inside" approach to soloing. I've always admired players like Moore, Warne Marsh, Stan Getz, and others who never seem to run out of ideas that can be expressed by varying progressions and phrasing within an octave or two.

Buster Williams exemplifies jazz artistry at its best. Here, he holds everything together while Riley and Moore occupy most of the solo space. Williams seems to be everywhere during the 1990s. He's still recording as he approaches his 84th birthday (April 17).

Joken Records existed briefly in the 1990s and has left little trace of its recording activity. I know of two other releases: Bill Barron's Higher Ground (1993) and Sumi Tonooka's Secret Places (1999). For Weaver of Dreams, producer Joanne Klein collaborated with Kenny Barron and Joe Marciano at Systems Two to create a neglected artistic and sonic gem. 

Ben Riley's last recording as a leader was Grown Folks' Music (Sunnyside, 2012). He died in 2017 at age 84.