The Mark Masters Ensemble: Ellington Saxophone Encounters

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Ellington Saxophone Encounters

Step into your time machine, fasten your seat belts, and settle back for a visit to the Duke Ellington era. 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like, if a modern musician were to wander onto the stage and sit in with one of the great bands of the past? Well, that’s what this album is all about. It’s a collection of tunes written by members of Duke’s bands, during the era when he reigned supreme, and played here by eight of today’s top artists: the Mark Masters Ensemble. 

This group’s instrumentation is unique: five reeds and a rhythm section consisting of piano, bass and drums. Each individual is famed, having spent a career working with top-level jazz groups. The baritone sax is held by the award-winning Gary Smulyan; the other reed players — each fluent with clarinet, alto, tenor and flute — are Gary Foster, Pete Christlieb, Gene Cipriano and Don Shelton. The supporting rhythm section features pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist Tom Warrington and drummer Joe LaBarbera. Leader Mark Masters is responsible for the arrangements.

The Ellington artists who contributed the tunes — all part of Duke’s library over the years — include Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton and Ben Webster. All are Jazz Hall of Fame members. 

Hodges composed “Esquire Swank,” “Lawrence Brown Blues,” Used to Be Duke,” “Jeep’s Blues” and “Peaches.” Gonsalves did “The Line Up” and “The Happening”; Carney contributed “We’re in Love Again” and “Rockin’ in Rhythm”; Hamilton gave us “Ultra Blue” and “Get Ready”; and Webster wrote “Love’s Away.” You may not know some of the titles, but you’ll recognize the melodies. As was the case with many of the tunes in his book, Ellington often  played a role in the end result, as a “co-composer.”

You’ll swear it’s Duke’s wonderful band from the first bar of the lead track, “Esquire Swank.” Close your eyes, and you’ve time- and place-shifted back to one of the great 1940s ballrooms. The same can be said of all these tracks: This is, indeed, an encounter of a most magical kind.

It’s an ensemble and album to die for.

Gary Smulyan: Smul's Paradise

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Smul's Paradise

Throughout the big band period, standard reed sections usually consisted of five instruments: two altos saxes, two tenors and a baritone. Many artists could play more than one of those instruments, and also could “double” on clarinet and flute. But artists able to play innovative and swinging solo lines on the “big horn” were few in number.

Those who come to mind include Harry Carney (with Duke Ellington for 45 years), Serge Chaloff (of Woody Herman fame), Gerry Mulligan (who played with everybody) and early boppers Leo Parker and Pepper Adams.

Gary Smulyan can be added to that list; he’s considered one of today’s major voices on the baritone sax. As a teen, he performed with artists such as Chet Baker and Lee Konitz, and was part of Woody Herman’s Young Thundering Herd from 1978 to ’80. Smulyan then became a member of the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and the Mingus groups, and subsequently performed and recorded with the jazz world’s entire Who’s Who.

Smulyan currently plays with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and numerous other groups; he also heads several units of his own and is a faculty member at New Jersey’s William Paterson University.

This album features a quartet, consisting of Smulyan, Mike LeDonne on Hammond B3 organ, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and Kenny Washington on drums. Many organ quartets have come and gone over the years, but I can’t remember any that utilized a baritone sax. One might worry that the horn’s huge tone would overwhelm the organ/guitar combination, but that isn’t the case here. Smulyan’s tone is clean, clear and smooth, and he compliments the other instruments wonderfully.

As might be expected, the chosen tunes are delivered at mid- to up-tempo meters. Three selections are tributes to another B3 great, Don Paterson. “Up in Betty’s Room” and “Aries” were composed by Paterson, while Smulyan wrote “D.P. Blues.” He’s also is responsible for “Heavenly Hour” and “Smul’s Paradise.” Of the remaining tracks, the pop hit “Sunny” is noteworthy for its arrangement here as a waltz.

Jazz baritone fans — and I’m one — will enjoy this album. This guy really swings!