Ken Peplowski: Enrapture

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Enrapture

Jazz has numerous roots. One was swing, a term that can’t be used without thinking of Benny Goodman, often identified as “The King of Swing.” His horn was the clarinet; although a few pretenders came along, no one else had the same impact.

Many reed players start with that instrument, but most “graduate” to the saxophone, in its many variations. The major exception was Ken Peplowski, born 20 years after Goodman had been coronated.

Peplowski’s home was Cleveland, Ohio; his earliest experience (while still in elementary school) was playing in a Polish polka band for dances and weddings, almost every weekend. By the time young Ken was in high school, he was teaching at a local music store and playing with territory bands.

During his first year in college, he was hired by the Tommy Dorsey band, at that time led by Buddy Morrow. Peplowski played lead alto sax with the big band, and clarinet in a smaller combo within the ensemble.

During a subsequent lengthy career, Peplowski has recorded more than 50 CDs as a soloist, and at least 400 as a sideman. It’s almost impossible to find a name vocalist or musician with whom he hasn’t worked. As for his level of performance, as recently as 2015 he continues to receive awards for excellence.

This album features Peplowski on both clarinet and tenor sax. He’s joined by pianist Ehud Asherie, bassist Martin Wind, and drummer Matt Wilson. Peplowski’s execution is flawless, his tone a thing of beauty, and his ideas boundless.

As for the album contents, Duke Ellington’s “The Flaming Sword” is a calypso-flavored gem; “An Affair to Remember” and John Lennon’s “Oh My Love” are beautiful ballads. “Cheer Up Charlie” hails from the soundtrack to Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, of all things; “Vertigo Scene D’Amour” comes from the Hitchcock film. We know “Willow Tree” from Fats Waller, and “I’ll Follow My Secret Heart” from Noel Coward. That’s just a taste; everything is gorgeous.

Dave Anderson: Blue Innuendo

Label1 Music
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Blue Innuendo

Dave Anderson plays soprano, alto and tenor sax; he also composes and leads this quartet. He probably isn’t too well known outside the jazz world, but he should be. 

Born and educated in Minnesota — and a graduate of the University of Minnesota — he received a full scholarship to perform at the Aspen Music Festival, spent almost a decade in and around New York City, and then moved to the Seattle area. He has performed with Clark Terry and Mel Torme, and garnered accolades from Ray Brown, Rufus Reid and others.

For this, Anderson’s third album, he’s supported by guitarist Tom Guarna, drummer Matt Wilson and B3 organist Pat Bianchi. Anderson wrote all but one of the tunes; the exception (“22 Doors”) was contributed by Devin Lowe, a friend and bassist on one of the earlier releases. All are traditional jazz charts; regardless of the tempo, they truly swing. In fact, these are some of the most musically clever arrangements I’ve heard in a long time.

Several other reviews cite these artists as “some of New York City’s finest sidemen,” but they’re actually better than that. Guarna is an exciting guitarist; his solo phrases often depart from what a given melodic line leads us to expect, and we wind up waiting to hear what he’ll play next. Bianchi is more “delicate” than many other Hammond organ artists, and his phrasing is sharper and “shorter.” Both of these characteristics eliminate the Hammond’s tendency to overwhelm the lines of the other instrumentalists. 

Wilson isn’t merely rock-solid; he’s what we sometimes label a “quiet” drummer. He’s never obtrusive. Anderson, as the primary composer, has a personal interest in getting the most out of each note; this is evident in his use of phrasing and chord structure.

These guys are very good, and they enjoy what they play. So will you.

Dan Trudell Plays the Piano

Self-produced
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Dan Trudell Plays the Piano

A lot of good musicians never stray far from home, yet make a solid living playing near where they were born, or grew up, or moved to and settled later in life. The groups with which such musicians perform are often referred to as “territory bands.” 

Dan Trudell is just such a guy. He was born in Michigan, began his musical studies on the organ at Western Michigan University — with a short stop on the tuba — and transferred to North Texas State, where he majored in piano. During his early career, he made a living playing on cruise ships. He ended up in Boston, formed his first trio, then moved to Chicago where he played with Sabretooth, the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and the B-3 Bombers.

Deciding that the Midwest was his favorite part of the country, Trudell settled in Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva resort area: close enough to Chicago and Milwaukee to facilitate playing there on occasion. He’s best know as an organist, but lately has returned to piano. This is his first album on the latter instrument.

The session features his trio — Matt Wilson on drums, Joe Sanders on bass — performing songs either written by, or associated with, famous pianists. The package also includes a couple of Trudell originals.

It’s interesting that his organ “style” is evident in his piano chops. He often plays chords, rather than single notes, which are done with “trill” fingering; this tends to “fill” the tonal spaces, much like an organ would. That said, it all swings quite nicely.

Since Trudell obviously has found his comfort zone, and is unlikely to stray far from it, he isn’t likely to become a well-known performer; that said, I’m sure he’ll keep the territory natives happy. I’d love to have a club close enough to enjoy artists like Trudell, at the mere price of a short drive.

Anthony Hadro: For Us the Living

Tone Rogue Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: For Us the Living

Anthony Hadro — who was born in Mexico City, moved to Brazil, and ultimately settled in Chicago — didn’t develop an interest in music until relatively late in life. His first instrument was the flute, but he ultimately settled on the baritone sax as his primary horn; he’s also fluent with the alto, tenor and both B-flat and low B-flat clarinets. As you listen to him, you’ll immediately notice the splendid tone achieved in all octaves of his baritone sax, which is the instrument (with a modicum of flute) that he uses on this release. 

Hadro attended the prestigious New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and New York City’s New School For Jazz and Contemporary Music; he was named salutatorian there in 2007, and soon thereafter toured with a jazz group containing several faculty members. He now teaches and tours with his own group, and with the Junior Mance Quintet.

Hadro’s quartet here also includes Carmen Staaf, a superior musician who won the Mary Lou Williams piano competition in 2009, and is the pianist in UCLA’s prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance. The other players are bassist Daniel Foose and drummer Matt Wilson. 

Hadro wrote six of these 10 compositions. Of the rest, “Sea of Tranquility” comes from Maria Schneider, Julian Shore contributed “Give,” Ryan Anselmi wrote “Paola,” and “Cotton” was composed by James Davis. 

As for the results ... well, if you check the definition of descriptors such as class, smooth, sensitivity and inventiveness, you’ll probably find a photograph of this quartet. These folks produce some of the best modern jazz I’ve heard in years. Reviewing this combo was a genuine pleasure, and it’ll be my continued pleasure to replay this CD again and again.

Jane Ira Bloom: Sixteen Sunsets

Outline Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Sixteen Sunsets

One doesn’t often win an audience with royalty in any field of the arts, but we consider ourselves blessed when it happens. Such is the case with this album by soprano saxophonist and composer Jane Ira Bloom. She’s the queen of that instrument; no one else come close to her mastery.

Merely listing her career’s many awards and accolades would fill several pages. She’s currently a professor at New York City’s New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and is a constant performer on the world’s stages as a soloist, and with both small and large musical ensembles. This release features her quartet, in which she’s supported by pianist Dominic Fallacaro, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Matt Wilson.

The album title, Sixteen Sunsets, is based on a quote from U.S. astronaut Joseph Allen: “...and you see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day, when you’re in space. No sunrise or sunset is ever the same.” 

As for this album, you’ll never hear another musical performance like it.

This is Bloom’s 15th album as a leader, and her first all-ballad collection. The track list features American Songbook standards (among them “For All We Know,” “The Way You Look Tonight” and “My Ship”) and five original compositions.

Bloom gets a marvelously pure tone from her horn, which, along with her beautiful phrasing, makes every tune a mesmerizing event that you’ll not soon forget. Her compatriots are an equally important element in the performance, which you’ll want to hear again and again. At 77 minutes, the album also is generous. Finally, the superior audio quality — 5.1 high-resolution surround sound — is the icing on the cake. 

All in all, this is an album that you must have!

Holiday Jazz 2010: A quiet year for seasonal swing

By Derrick Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 12.16.10

[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for roughly 15 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing.]

Santa seems to have misplaced some of his swing.

Some years are great for holiday jazz; others … aren’t. New releases are unusually slim this year; were it not for a selection of slightly older albums that only came to my attention during the past 12 months, I’d have precious little to discuss. 2010 offers no new CDs from name-brand jazz superstars, and — perhaps more surprising — also no new compilations from labels that have delivered the goods in previous years: Concord, Origin and several others.

(Sadly, Christmas from the Blue Note came to my attention too late for this article; it’ll be discussed at this time next year.)

I’d hate to think this results from a diminished interest in seasonal swing, but one year does not a trend make. I won’t panic unless 2011 is similarly bereft of jazzy ho-ho-ho.

But the news isn’t all bad. Music doesn’t require a 2010 copyright in order to be “new”; if you’ve not encountered something before, it’s still fresh. And you’ll find plenty to enjoy in the following list. If it’s not as long as my usual annual round-up, well, that simply means your bank account won’t be as threatened.

So, I see Santa on sax, Rudolph on percussion, and three elves standing atop one another to work that bass: Grab some egg nog and prepare to snap those fingers and tap those toes.

******************

Although not on the public’s radar as much as, say, Mannheim Steamroller, the a cappella group Take 6 is just as serious about the holidays: the newly released The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is the ensemble’s third seasonal release, following 1991’s He Is Christmas and 1999’s We Wish You a Merry Christmas. It can be hard to pigeonhole the group, since their style blends elements of gospel, R&B, vintage doo-wop and jazz … but when a bunch of guys sounds this good, they deserve to be praised.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is a shortish album, its 10 tracks clocking in at just shy of 35 minutes, but the contents are choice. You’ll marvel at the way the voices “cover” the background percussion instruments one would expect from an average rendition of these tunes; this is particularly noteworthy on “White Christmas” and a soulful reading of “Jingle Bells,” along with the enchanting “Sugarplum Dance,” a doo-wop variation on Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” (no vocal line on this one, of course).

The rowdier selections are a lot of fun, particularly “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which opens with an argument between Claude McKnight III and Alvin Chea — over who should sing the bass melody line — and continues with all sorts of snarky side comments throughout the song.

But these guys have their sweeter side, as well: Their vocal chops are just as enchanting on the gentler arrangements, as with “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “I Saw Three Ships.”

You won’t want to miss this album … and while you’re at it, pick up the other two, as well.