Sea Breeze Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.15.07Buy CD: Gentle Rain
Doug MacDonald is not new to the world of jazz.
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Honolulu, he moved to the West Coast in 1982 and became a fixture, with periodic forays to New York and Las Vegas. He has played in groups of every size, from trios to big bands.
He has been a sideman with dozens of organizations (George Shearing, Buddy Rich, Bill Holman and the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, to name a few); many famous vocalists; and some of the best guitarists in jazz (Joe Pass and Herb Ellis). MacDonald has been referred to as a "bop" guitarist, but his style really is more laid-back, mellow and swinging.
The basic group performing on this release is a quartet: guitar, bass, piano and drums. Two different pianists were used: Ross Tompkins and Marty Harris.
Five tracks feature a trio — guitar, piano and drums — and MacDonald plays solo guitar on "Gentle Rain."
This is one of the best releases in the "casual enjoyment" genre I've heard in a long time. Eight tunes are familiar jazz standards that my generation grew up with, from "Once In A While" and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" to "Picnic" and "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You." The ballads are wonderful for close dancing, and the arrangement of "Picnic" is particularly moving.
Even the more up-tempo tracks — like "Idaho" — are danceable. The arrangements are excellent, as are the ensemble and solo work.
And everything swings, thanks to the quality of the rhythm section — Harvey Newmark on bass, Jack LeComte on drums — that perfectly complements either pianist and MacDonald's guitar.
You won't grow tired of this album.
Jazzed Media
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.15.07Buy CD: Live
Bill Holman and I were born within three months of each other, so he's had a lot to do with my love for jazz.
Holman was born and schooled in California, took up the clarinet and tenor sax in high school, and was leading his own band while still a teenager. After serving in the U.S. Navy, where he studied engineering, he decided that he really wanted to write music for the big jazz bands that prevailed in the 1940s.
He studied at the Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles, and was a key contributor to the West Coast Jazz movement during the '50s, playing with bands led by Ike Carpenter, Shorty Rogers and Shelly Manne, and writing arrangements for Charlie Barnet. Holman began his long association with Stan Kenton in 1952 and became his chief arranger, writing most of the band's library.
Over the next 25 years, Holman played with or wrote arrangements for almost every big band in existence, including Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Orchestra. In his spare time, Holman wrote for vocalists such as Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughn, June Christy and Anita O'Day.
He did the arranging for Natalie Cole's Grammy winning "Unforgettable" album, and received one of his Grammy Awards for his arrangement of "Take The 'A' Train" for Doc Severinsen's.
The point: Even if you didn't know it, if you like jazz, you've been exposed to Holman most of your life. Thank goodness he has made some great recordings over the years: Great Big Band in the 1960s, The Bill Holman Band in the late '80s, A View From The Side and Brilliant Corners during the '90s ... and — the subject at hand —this release in 2005.
Whatever Homan does, concerts or recording sessions, he has his pick of musicians. They stand in line just for a chance to play his arrangements, which create a symbiosis between baroque textures and modern jazz harmonics.
Holman wrote all the arrangements on this CD. "Woodrow," done in memory of Woody Herman, works his "Blue Fame" theme song into a swinging melody. "A Day In The Life," another swinger, is a perfect example of how Holman combines styles.
"Bary Me Not" salutes longtime associate Gerry Mulligan, while "Zoot 'n' Al" is in memory of Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, two of the "four brothers" who played with Herman when Holman also was a member.
The album's most interesting chart is "Donna Lee," one of the bop lines played by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, who always did it at a blazing tempo. Holman's arrangement slows it down a bit, which permits the listener to realize just how complex and swinging this composition was.
The remaining tracks, all originals by Holman, further reinforce his genius.
Not to be missed.
OA2 Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.15.07Buy CD: Live at Blues Alley
You probably aren't familiar with either Mark Taylor or Steve Fidyk, but you'll want to be after listening to this wonderful release.
Taylor is a composer/ arranger who got his start doing charts for the Stan Kenton orchestra; Fidyk is a percussionist who has played in many of the great jazz groups and in back-up bands for innumerable vocal artists. They met while both were members of the Army Blues, a well known military band.
This CD, only their second release, was done live at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.
The group is a standard big band: five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones and a rhythm section consisting of piano, bass and drums. All but one of the tracks were arranged by Taylor; Fidyk did the arrangement of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home."
The result: This band really swings. It's like a visit to the past, resurrecting memories of Woody Herman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and others of that genre.
"Full Count" is typical of the up-tempo openers with which those bands would begin a concert; the second tune in the set, "Maiden Voyage," is a real burner that lets the audience know what to expect. "Bradley's Bop House," a groovy mid-tempo tune, demonstrates how a great rhythm section can drive a band and its featured trumpet and tenor sax soloists.
"My One And Only Love" is the first of five old standards; this one's a great arrangement for dancers. The "close dancing" crowd will appreciate the samba treatment given "What'll I Do," which has beautiful trumpet and piano solos.
As for "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," I've never heard it played like this ... and I love it!
I've also never heard a version of "Anthropology" played at a (relatively) slow tempo. This version will make you even more impressed with this great bop standard.
Taylor was collaborating with drummer Louie Bellson when he composed "Brush Taps." It's reminiscent of Neal Hefti's "Cute," and demonstrates the groove created when a drummer uses brushes instead of sticks.
"My Cherie Amour" is done as a jazz waltz: wonderful for both listening and dancing. Finally, the set closes with "The Gorillaman Blues," a real rocker in my favorite jazz format. The ensemble and solo work on this track are fantastic, and you won't be able to keep your feet still.
This is a great group, and I look forward to future CDs.
Origin Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.15.07Buy CD: Passages
Scott Burns was born and raised in Ohio's Dayton/Cincinnati area. While still in school, he decided that music, jazz and the tenor sax would be major elements in his life.
A chance to sit in during a 1996 concert tour by one of Clark Terry's bands — and encouragement he received at the time — were instrumental in Burns' decision to move to Chicago, where opportunities abounded. While attending DePaul University to expand his musical education, he worked with jazz groups and formed his own quartet.
He received a Downbeat award in 1999, and by 2002 was playing with Connick's big band. Eventually, though, Burns returned to his own quartet.
This is a standard group, with Burns on tenor sax, Ron Perrillo on piano, Dennis Carroll on bass, and George Fludas on drums/percussion. Burns composed all the tunes on this CD. Two of them, "Black Orchid" and "Waiting," are pretty ballads: perfect for slow dancing with a significant other.
The rest of the tunes are mid- to up-tempo compositions, better suited for listening than dancing.
A group that works in and around one area — Chicago, in this case — is known as a "territory" band. They're the bread and butter of the musical world and, because they aren't well known outside their own areas, most of the musicians have two jobs. The daytime jobs buy the groceries, pay the rent and support the family.
At night, they turn into musicians to augment their basic income, get their kicks and (hopefully!) make their way up the musical ladder of success ... which then would allow them to quit those humdrum day jobs.
This quartet is good: better than most living this kind of life. As you'd expect, the solo work is done primarily by Burns and Perrillo; both are excellent. The bassist and drummer are more than adequate.
But, as is the case with most small combos, it's hard to prevent boredom from creeping in unless the group includes a rising superstar. That isn't the case yet, but these guys play pleasurable jazz: great background music while you're reading or hosting a gathering of friends.
Telarc
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.15.07Buy CD: Want You
I almost didn't review this CD; it's borderline jazz, more like what you'd hear in a lounge than in a club or concert.
But since I've covered at least half a dozen female singers in recent months, I must be equally fair to this new male vocalist.
DeSare is well known in the New York area, where he attended college and formed his first trio. He's a vocalist who plays more than adequate piano, and he sounds a lot like Harry Connick Jr. — without the New Orleans accent — and strongly resembles John F. Kennedy Jr.
That combination guarantees a significant female fan base for starters, and DeSare's excellent performance level also should bring the guys on board.
DeSare's songwriting abilities, though, will ensure his breakthrough to the upper echelon. He wrote six of the tunes on this album, five teamed with bassist Mike Lee. The biggie he'll ride into fame is "If I Had Drew," from the movie "My Date With Drew."
DeSare augmented his normal trio for this recording, adding Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar), John Swana (trumpet), Bob Howell (tenor sax), Vic Stevens and Brian Czach (drums) and Tedd Firth (piano). Lee plays bass on every track.
All the arrangement are tastefully done, and the few featured solos are quite good. DeSare uses the same gimmick that pianist Paul Smith has become famous for: Smith concludes every live set with a short, fast version of the Looney Tunes theme, while DeSare does the same with the tune "Five Foot Two," delivering various styles at a blazing tempo.
Telarc
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.1.07Buy CD: Blues in the Night
The spotlight goes on, the curtain opens and out steps another muti-talented jazz vocalist.
But wait, I hear you say ... this lady isn't new; she has been around for years.
So why don't we West Coasters know her better?
Callaway lives and works primarily in the New York music world, and she's better known as a writer/composer, Broadway stage performer — she had a featured role in the Broadway stage musical Swing — and top-o'-the-heap lounge artist. She has been part of more than 40 albums and has played most of the famous jazz clubs and toured extensively in Europe, but the demand for her writing and composing skills apparently has buffered her from the usual jazz scene.
This CD's liner notes credit her as co-arranger on almost every track; she performs all the vocals (several with her sister, Liz Callaway), wrote all the special lyrics and played a key role in the recording/production process. I wouldn't be surprised if she swept out the studio and make sure the lights were off, before leaving each day!
Callaway is backed on several tracks by the all-female Diva Jazz Orchestra, a big band — headed by Sherrie Maricle — that really swings. Callaway is backed by smaller ensembles — quartets or quintets — on most of the songs, however. Either way, the arrangements, musicians and solo work are excellent.
And she can sing.
Callaway has a remarkable range, approaching that of Cleo Laine. Callaway is a natural alto: smooth and sensuous for ballads, bright and swinging for up-tempo tunes. She can progress into a stratospheric soprano in a heartbeat, without distortion, hitting each note clear as a bell.
Oh, yes, she also scats.
Blues in the Night is a well conceived and performed album. All the songs are blues-related, in various meters, and include many tried and true oldies: "Blue Moon," "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," "Lover Come Back to Me," "Stormy Weather," "When the Sun Comes Out," "It's All Right with Me," "Blues in the Night" and "The Glory of Love."
I'm not usually a huge fan of vocalists, but this lady moves me. Based on this CD and her wealth of previous releases — along with what appears to be a top-rated management team — this lady can go as far as she wants.
Village Square
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.1.07Buy CD: Sentimental Journey
This is a labor of love by pianist Beegie Adair, who grew up during World War II. She was exposed constantly to the many songs that were written and performed during that period, and she recently decided to create an album as a tribute to what she terms "this wonderful music."
Sentimental Journey is the result.
Adair was born and brought up in Kentucky, and she now lives and works out of Nashville, Tenn. She's proof that "country" isn't the only musical form emanating from that area. Much of her early experience came from working with the likes of Dolly Parton and Chet Atkins, of course, but her real love always has been related to jazz.
Adair is a prolific artist; she has produced — or been part of — almost two dozen CDs since the early 1990s. Her core group is a trio, with her piano accompanied by Roger Spencer (bass) and Chris Brown (drums). Both gentlemen are consummate musicians who've played with the likes of Maynard Ferguson and Les Brown.
This trio swings; Adair & Co. have played together so long, that they think as one.
The album contains a dozen unforgettable tracks. Those of us who were part of that period remember that "records" produced at the time were limited to about 3 1/2 minutes of playing time. Adair performs each tune with the same constraint, which creates a similar "feel" as those old 78s.
Additionally, each song is performed at the ballad tempo longtime listeners will well remember. "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," "Moonlight Serenade," "Sentimental Journey," "I'll Never Smile Again," "It's Been a Long, Long Time," "At Last," "You'll Never Know" and "I'll Be Seeing You" are perfect for slow dancing, while the up-tempo "Begin The Beguine," "Chattanooga Choo Choo," "String of Pearls" and "In the Mood" will make you want to Lindy again.
This album should appeal to all who lived through this era. It probably won't be a big seller for today's youth, or even for the boomer generation, but enough of us senior citizens are around to make this a winner for Adair and Village Square.
