Tom Dempsey/Tim Ferguson Quartet: Waltz New

OA2 Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Waltz New

Guitarist Tom Dempsey and bassist Tim Ferguson have been friends for more than 25 years, and have worked together numerous times since their college days. Dempsey may be better known, because his career experiences have included stage and TV exposure: with dancer Savion Glover, in Bring In ’da Noise, Bring In ’da Funk; and as part of the ensembles behind The Rosie O’Donnell Show and HBO’s Sex and the City. Dempsey is one of the best jazz guitarists I’ve ever heard, and he also is a teacher, educator and author.

Ferguson has been a first-call bassist in the New York City jazz scene for 20 years. He also composes and arranges, and teaches privately. 

Over time, both have worked with numerous name members of the jazz fraternity; they’ve also played in a quartet format with tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm and drummer Eliot Zigmund. One of those meet-ups produced the 2013 album Beautiful Friendship; Waltz New is their second outing.

Dempsey and Ferguson both admire guitarist Jim Hall, who composed six of this new album’s songs. The rest are Dempsey’s “Village Waltz,” Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s “All The Things You Are,” Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz’s “Alone Together,” Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark,” and Ron Carter’s “Receipt Please.” Dempsey handled the new arrangements.

All the tracks are played beautifully, with masterful recording and mixing. Each artist delivers thoughtful and imaginative solos, which perfectly complement the melodic themes and chord changes. This “blending” of instruments adds greatly to the album’s enjoyment. It deserves prime placement in your musical library.

Tom Dempsey: Saucy

PlanetArts
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Saucy

As jazz has progressed over the years, the use of guitar has changed significantly. Initially, melodic melody lines most often were done at slow tempos, in concert or ballads. A “strumming” technique was used for faster arrangements because, at the time, the facility of the musicians — and the design of the instruments — didn’t allow for high-speed single-string techniques. The guitar was used more as a part of the rhythm section, rather than as a solo “horn,” and when solo passages were taken, the multi-string style predominated. 

But that hasn’t been the case for years.

Tom Dempsey is one of today’s elite single-string artists. He has played with numerous top-drawer groups and musicians and, like so many of them, he spends more time teaching than performing. He has taught at Lincoln Center, LaGuardia Community College, SUNY New Paltz, Rutgers University and the National Guitar Workshop.

Dempsey’s trio here is relatively unique; he’s backed by Ron Oswanski on organ, and Alvin Atkinson on drums. During his earlier years, Dempsey often worked at New York City clubs that used Hammond B3 organ groups, and he loved the sound of the guitar/organ combo. You’ll appreciate it as well, while listening to this album. The delicate touch that Oswanski achieves never overwhelms Dempsey’s guitar, instead filling in the musical “nooks and crannies” in the various arrangements.

Dempsey composed half of these 10 compositions; the rest are by other artists. “Bock to Bock” is a Buddy  Montgomery tune; “Bridge Over Troubled Water” comes from Paul Simon; Lee Morgan composed “Ceora”; Bobby Sherwood wrote “My Secret Love”; and “One Hundred Ways” comes from Coleman/Wakefield/Wright. The entire menu is choice, and everything swings lightly and politely. 

I’ve always enjoyed great guitar, and I’m sure you’ll love this album.

The Tom Dempsey/Tim Ferguson Quartet: Beautiful Friendship

Planet Arts
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Beautiful Friendship

This is one of the happiest-sounding quartets I’ve heard in quite awhile.  

Guitarist Tom Dempsey and bassist Tim Ferguson have played together for more than 20 years. Although both also have performed with many of the better-known musicians headquartered in the New York City jazz scene, most of their (relatively limited) discography has featured them together. 

This album includes two musicians whom Dempsey and Ferguson also count as close friends for many years: drummer Eliot Zigmund and tenor/soprano saxophonist Joel Frahm. Zigmund is best known for a stint with the Bill Evans Trio some years back; Frahm has worked with stalwarts such as Maynard Ferguson and Betty Carter. Like Dempsey and Ferguson, Zigmund and Frahm are major elements of the Big Apple jazz community.

This album’s 10 tunes are a mix of originals by Dempsey (“Focus Pocus” and “Ted’s Groove”), Ferguson (“Cakewalk” and “Last Summer”) and the entire quartet (“It’s True”), and standards by Randy Weston, Thad Jones, Vernon Duke, Thelonious Monk and Donald Kahn/Stanley Styne. The latter wrote the title track.

The set is played at moderate to up-tempos, and you can feel the group’s enjoyment during the entire session. Most albums have one or two tunes that stand out, but that isn’t the case here; they’re all a joy to listen to. The interplay between the quartet members is marvelous, and I hope we’ll hear that musical connection again, when these guys get together for future sessions.

Dempsey & Ferguson: What's Going On?

City Tone Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 5.1.08
Buy CD: What's Going On?

Guitarist Tom Dempsey and bassist Tim Ferguson, both based in New York City, have played together for years. They've been in numerous groups, from trios to sextets; more often than not, though, they play as a guitar and bass duo. 

Dempsey received his bachelor's degree in music in 1991 from Rutgers, and his master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music in '98. His guitar style is very modern — essentially no vibrato in any notes or passages — but wonderfully swinging. 

Ferguson is one of the few bassists with so much command of his instrument that he can play lyrical solos on ballads, and keep up with the guitar at any tempo. He comes close to the late Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen in that regard. As a result of their years together, they think as one: a major element in the quality of their music. 

This album is a potpourri of the old, new and seldom heard. Their covers of the spiritual "Deep River" and the ballad "Stardust" are particularly moving. 

When you want to listen to something smooth and soothing, a guitar/bass duo doesn't necessarily come to mind. But this release is proof that this combination, when dealing with two truly talented artists, can provide beautiful music.