The Mystery of Compassion is an album by American jazz French horn player and composer Tom Varner

Tom Varner

Tom Varner is an American jazz horn player and composer.Varner studied piano in his youth with Capitola Dickerson of Summit, New Jersey. He holds a B.M...

 recorded in 1992 and released on the Italian Soul Note

Black Saint/Soul Note

Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian jazz independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz.-History:...

 label.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Brian Olewnick awarded the album 4 stars stating "Varner's ensemble offers up fascinating music that straddles the borders between jazz and an urban mix with a root or two in noir soundtracks, world music, and who knows what else. The Mystery of Compassion is a must for fans of the jazzier edges of the downtown New York scene".

Track listing

All compositions and arrangements by Tom Varner

1. "How Does Power Work?" - 9:32
2. "Water and Wood" - 5:56
3. "Fool's Oasis" - 8:26
4. "A Severed Arm" - 1:01
5. "The Well" - 13:52
6. "Death at the Right Time" - 7:21
7. "Control Passion" - 9:53
8. "Plunge" - 0:53
9. "$1000 Hat" - 14:15
10. "Prayer" - 3:20
    • Recorded at Baby Monster Studio in New York City on March 5, 6 & 7, 1992

Personnel

• Tom Varner
  Tom Varner
  Tom Varner is an American jazz horn player and composer.Varner studied piano in his youth with Capitola Dickerson of Summit, New Jersey. He holds a B.M...
  
   - French horn
• Matt Darriau (track 6), Ed Jackson (tracks 1-5 & 7-9) - alto saxophone
  Alto saxophone
  The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
  
  
• Ellery Eskelin
  Ellery Eskelin
  Ellery Eskelin American tenor saxophonist. Born in Wichita, Kansas, raised in Baltimore, Maryland from the age of two. His parents, Rodd Keith and Bobbie Lee, were also musicians. Rodd Keith died in 1974 in Los Angeles, California and became a cult figure after his death in the little known...
  
   (track 6), Rich Rothenberg (tracks 1-9) - tenor saxophone
  Tenor saxophone
  The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
  
  
• Jim Hartog - baritone saxophone
  Baritone saxophone
  The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
  
   (track 6)
• Steve Swell
  Steve Swell
  Steve Swell is an American free jazz trombonist and composer.Swell studied at Jersey City State College before moving to New York City in 1975 where he began his musical life, playing in top 40 bands, salsa bands, big bands and performed on Broadway in Bob Fosse's "Dancin""...
  
   - trombone
  Trombone
  The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
  
   (tracks 6 & 10)
• Dave Taylor - bass trombone (tracks 6 & 10)
• Mark Feldman
  Mark Feldman
  Mark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.Feldman worked in Chicago from 1973 to 1980, and in Nashville, Tennessee from 1980 to 1986. He worked in New York City and Western Europe from 1986. Feldman often works with John Zorn, Sylvie Courvoisier, John Abercrombie, The Masada String Trio, Dave...
  
   - violin
  Violin
  The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
  
   (track 5)
• Mike Richmond
  Mike Richmond (musician)
  Mike Richmond is an American jazz bassist.Richmond played guitar as a youth but picked up bass during high school. He attended Temple University and taught and played locally in the late 1960s...
  
   - bass
  Double bass
  The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
  
   (tracks 1-9)
• Tom Rainey
  Tom Rainey
  Thomas "Tom" Rainey is an American drummer.After attending Berklee College of Music he moved to New York in 1979. He has played with American jazz saxophonist and composer Tim Berne, and also with Nels Cline, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, Tom Varner, Drew Gress, Kenny Werner, Mark Helias, and Simon...
  
   - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  (tracks 1-9)