Jazz Reviews

Horace Silver - The Hardbop Grandpop

2006-01-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Selections:
I Want you
The hippest cat in Hollywood
Gratitude
Hawkin'
I got the blues in Santa Cruz
We've got Silver at six
The Hardbop Grandpop
The lady from Johannesburg
Serenade to a teakettle
Diggin' on Dexter
Musicians
Michael Brecker, Claudio Roditi, Ronnie Cuber, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, Steve Turre and Horace Silver

Review
Horace Silver is a unique individual in jazz. On this CD we are back to the basics of Silver. These were the types of lines that made us all click our fingers to the funk godfather back in the Fifties and Sixties. For a while in between Horace's music became more lyrical and social in content, which is not to say that the message was lost, but that familiar Silver identification was missing. In Hard bop Grand pop we are once again treated to Silver a la carte.
I had the good fortune to catch up with Horace Silver at the Montreal Jazz Festival this year. Although his set consisted of most the material that has gone into this package, the group was a lot different. This recording is loaded with All-Stars. The front line has Michael Brecker on tenor, Claudio Roditi on fluegelhorn and trumpet, Steve Turre on trombone and Ronnie Cuber on baritone. The rest of the group has, none other than, Ron Carter on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. The group that toured the jazz festivals, although good, were made up of a lot of young Californians who have not yet established a name in the jazz community. An interesting side note on seeing the group perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival was after the set the audience was looking for an encore. After doing one encore the audience wanted more. Horace had to come out on stage to apologize because the group was not ready or prepared to do any more charts for the night. A first, for me!
This music on this CD is tight ensemble playing at its best. The compositions are humorous, springy, viable and from the street to the store front church in origin. Aside from the late Dexter Gordon, I know of no other jazz musician that is so completely adapt to quoting as Horace Silver. It's a natural flow that comes in his playing and you'll never know what quote will come out of his improvised lines: Anything from "Sweet Georgia Brown" to " Down by the Riverside" is possible. The title track is a line based on the chord changes for the old Evergreen, "Back Home in Indiana."
The solo work on this set is spread out proportionately to all the players. Ronny Cuber is a strong baritone player whose solos are biting, pungent and aware of Mr.Silver and his written intentions. Ronny Cuber and Gary Smulyn are, for me, two of the better bari players on the scene today. Claudio Roditi's solos are lyrical and fluid. Mr. Roditi never steps on any of the toes of the notes that he plays. He is indeed the most expressive of all the trumpet players today and still carries the Clifford Brown banner with dignity. Michael Brecker is a steady saxophonist who has done his share of electronic experimenting and here he comes off playing stunningly in the Silver tradition. Steve Turre has some tasty solos; a lot of us are forgetting that he is a trombonist that doubles on shells and not the other way around. Ron Carter and Lewis Nash do a master's job in understating the rhythm behind Horace's driving comping and solo work.
For all the old diehard Silver fans and the young jazz fans beginning to discover this music, this is a splendid sampling of hard bop as it sounds in the Nineties. I rate this CD Four Stars.

Bill Holman Band Live

2006-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Personnel: Bill Holman, composer, arranger, conductor; Carl Saunders, Pete DiSiena, Ron Stout, Bob Summers, trumpet; Lanny Morgan, Bruce Babad, Doug Webb, Ray Herrmann, Bob Efford, reeds; Jack Redmond, Bob Enevoldsen, Andy Martin, trombone; Craig Gosnell, bass trombone; Christian Jacob, piano; Joel Hamilton, bass; Kevin Kanner, drums.

Track Listing: Introduction; Woodrow; A Day in the Life; Bary Me Not; Band Introductions; Donna Lee; Blue Daniel; Press One; The Bebop Love Song; Zoot ‘n Al (61:19).

CD Review

I remember the very first time I ever heard Bill Holman's work. It was way back with Stan Kenton's band. My first reaction was to sit up straight, enjoy and pay strict attention. Well, I've been doing that ever since whenever Bill comes up with something new. When either Holman or the late Marty Paich creates music, there's a personal identification stamp that lets you know it's their music.

Holman's arrangements are always fresh, original, light and they swing like hell. The Bill Holman Band Live is his latest work and was recently recorded in September 2004 in Los Angeles California. The band, as usual, is chock full of the West Coast's very best players and the recording and playing is absolutely superb.

The set starts out with a dedication to Woody Herman, Holman's ex-boss, with a tune called Woodrow. This line is based on and expands from Herman's theme song, Blue Flame.

This is followed by a kind of tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Beatles with Holman's playful and sometimes abstract version of A Day In The Life. Ray Herrmann contributes a straight ahead swinging solo on tenor sax.

Bary Me Not introduces us to Bob Efford on baritone sax as he effortlessly injects some wonderful lines in between the Swing Era into the twenty first century kind of arrangement.

You have got to hear this band romp on Charlie Parker's Donna Lee. Great trombonist, Bob Enevoldsen, takes a solo before the band does some exploratory work. Doug Webb jumps back into it with a boppish solo to finish up.

Frank Rosolino's swinging waltz, Blue Daniel, is reincarnated next with the usual exploratory Holman touch. Ron Stout, contributes a very articulate solo to enhance this jazz evergreen.

Press One is a whimsical title having to do with the trials of modern day telephone communication.

There is an almost haunting Monk-like feeling in the slower tempoed The Bebop Love Song. On this one, Bob Enevoldsen shows us why he's one of the best jazz trombonists in the business today.

I feel very fortunate that in my lifetime I was able to see Al Cohn and Zoot Sims countless times at clubs in New York City like, The Half Note, The Village Vanguard and others. They were indeed the dynamic duo of their times and it still holds true until today. Bill pays them homage with his original line, Zoot 'n' Al. The reed ensemble plays the theme so reminiscent of Zoot and Al. The Sax solos do much to capture the spirit and good feelings of the two illustrious tenor men of jazz.

Listening to Bill Holman's music, for me, is like indulging in dessert. I don't have it too often, but when I do, I savor each and every forkful until it's all finished.

John La Barbera CD Review

2005-04-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

Back in the Forties, I grew up listening to the sounds of big bands on a little AM radio in my kitchen in Brooklyn New York. The bands were the thing back then, while the singers were like the sidemen that played in the band. After world war two that all changed. Some of the big bands hung on and continued to tour. The economics of survival made it tougher and tougher to support such large aggregations.
The big bands role in jazz is like a separate art form in itself. The arrangers and composers create the atmosphere, color and tension behind the soloist for them to springboard into their respective solos. Each of the bands had their own special arranger/composers. Basie had the great Ernie Wilkins. Duke had Billy Strayhorn and Mercer Ellington. Woody had Bill Holman, Shorty Rogers and Marty Paich, just to name a very few.
The great drummer, Buddy Rich, led one of the most dynamic and exciting bands. The worthy pen of John La Barbera mainly designed buddy's sound. John's arrangements were tight, vibrant and left great openings for the soloists to improvise on. It's a great joy to hear John again with an all-star band on his latest CD, On the Wild Side.
His brothers Pat and Joe on this set join John. Joe contributes some of the originals as well as playing drums on all the tracks.
The set kicks off with a Horace Silver flag waver, Mayreh. John gets some able help by veteran alto sax legend, Bud Shank on this one.
This is followed by a haunting treatment of the Miles Davis line, So What. Pat La Barbera solos on this one along with trumpet player, Clay Jenkins. When stating the theme the woodwinds emulate All Blue. This is one of the joys of great big band arrangers. They're able to incorporate these designs to the compositions, making the big band sound the art form that it is.
Joe La Barbera's exciting, Gerald Wilsonish line,Tiger of San Pedro follows with solos by Pat and some high note trumpet from Wayne Bergeron. This is followed by another of Joe's originals paying homage to the great Art Blakey, Message From Art.
The title track follows, Elmer Bernstein's Walk on the Wild Side. This is a great example of how the art of the arrangement unfolds when someone of the caliber of John La Barbera does it. Brother Pat stretches out on his tenor and soprano soloing. The opening cadenza of this tune, a haunting lyrical line played by Pat on soprano, behind a slower paced melody leads into the familiar theme, thus converting this entire side to a suite. This is excellent arranging and composing creating memorable music.
Another Joe La Barbera original follows, Cachaca Gotcha. A playful and swinging Brazilian back beat lifts Kim Richmond's alto solo and adds to the color of this danceable mix. Joe, one of the great drummers in our time ®¢ both big and band small group or whatever, gives us some tasty breaks.
Cloth of Silver ®¢ Threads of Blue by Joe La Barbera, a medium fast blues inspired by Horace Silver is a great example, when you have great charts, and sixteen cats that can really swing. Clay Jenkins takes us through with a vibrant and straight ahead solo. Bill Cunliffe follows with his effervescent take on piano.
The set closes with yet another Joe La Barbera original, Highland Crossing. Brother Pat and Dennis Farias share the solo spotlight on this absorbing arrangement.
To say that I miss the thrill of the Jazz Big Band would be the understatement of my life. Wouldn't it be a major joy to be able to catch a band like this put together by a grand master arranger like John La Barbera in person? Well, at least we can still groove to it electronically. But, if only it could be live, just one more time!

Peter La Barbera (No relation)

2005-04-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

Phil Woods DVD Review

2005-04-07T19:53:00.001-07:00

Phil Woods ≠ A Life In E Flat

From all of the DVDs ever released on jazz musicians, Phil Woods, A Life In E Flat, for me, stands out as what the standard should be for doing profiles on Jazz Artists. For anyone that ever followed the long career of Phil Woods or anything from his era, this is an essential addition to your DVD library.
This is a very candid portrait of one of our greatest living jazz players. Phil is honest, straightforward, charming and maintains his cool sense of humor throughout. Talking about his relations with Bird and Diz to his wonderful marriage to his wife, Jill for thirty years, Phil, does so from the standpoint that he is a Jazz Musician first and everything else later.
He also fills us in on how he has been able to maintain practically the same band all throughout his long career. In all, there have been only three piano players and the bass and drummer, Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin, have been with him from the start.
This is all done during a rehearsal in the Pocono Mountains with a group that included Brian Lynch on trumpet playing the wonderful music of Quincy Jones. The music and the interview are intertwined throughout the DVD and done so in a very timely manner.
Throughout the DVD, Phil's stories are very interesting and thoughtful; his feelings toward music education, the young and up and coming players and his mentors such as Benny Carter are all illustrated throughout the DVD.
I recommend this tribute to Phil's longevity in jazz to all of the veteran jazz fans out there and to the newbies that want to learn more about this great music we call, jazz.

Marvin Stamm Review

2005-04-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Live At Birdland

The Stamm Soph Project

Marvin Stamm ≠Trumpet
Bill Mays ≠ Piano
Rufus Reid ≠ Bass
Ed Soph ≠ Drums
Guest John Abercrombie ≠ guitar

Marvin Stamm is one of the most consummate jazz players in the business. His track record speaks for itself. Having played with some of the jazz giants from Stan Kenton to Dizzy Gillespie, Marvin has worn several caps. For me, he is a very warm, melodic player without flash. He has the technical prowess to achieve remarkable capabilities on his horn. However, Marvin is a team player and his goals are for the achievements to the group he fronts. His musical contributions are solely for the enhancement of the ensemble. If he has any personal ego to display he seems to have left it home especially where this Live At Birdland CD is concerned. But above all else the one element that surfaces from his playing is his very good taste. There is eloquence in the tunes he chooses, the way they are performed and the lines that he writes. His articulation both in music and about the musical scene is honest, insightful and thoughtful.

On this CD, in addition to his sidekick, Ed Soph, Marvin has assembled an all-star group and recorded it live at one of the hippest jazz clubs in New York City, Birdland. The atmosphere of this live recording is electric and captured on the CD.

On Samba du Nancy, a Stamm original, we are treated to an explorative introduction by Ed Soph followed by Marvin picking up the theme and gliding through this interesting composition.

The venerable veteran jazz pianist, Bill Mays contributes a lovely theme on, In Her Arms that introduces the enigmatic John Abercrombie on guitar. He's featured on four of the tracks and his presence certainly changes the identity of the group.

Waltz For Mia is a pretty and lilting melody based on the chord changes of I Though About You.

As well as taking a great solo on the opening track, Svensson, Rufus Reid contributes two wonderful original lines, The Meddler and When She Smiles Upon Your Face to this set.

When She Smiles Upon Your Face is a nice up-tempo line in which Marvin takes a full energy solo showing some of his technical proficiency as well as some nicely crafted ideas.

Ever since Benny Goodman recorded live at Carnegie Hall back in 1938, live recordings have always been the hallmark of some great jazz. The Stamm/Soph Project Live At Birdland will join the ranks of the others before him.