Chris Biesterfeldt: Urban Mandolin

Self-produced
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Urban Mandolin

Chris Biesterfeldt isn’t a household name in the big world of music, but he is well known in New York City, and particularly on Broadway. He has worked in musical groups that support shows, on and off that famous street, and with the small jazz combos that flourish in the area. He’s best known as a guitarist, but for this album his “horn” is the mandolin, a higher-toned relative of the lute family. The musical format is a trio, with the mandolin replacing the usual guitar or piano. 

The mandolin dates back hundreds of years, and recently has been used extensively in country/western and rock groups, but almost never in jazz. Its tone isn’t as sweet or “full” as that obtained from a guitar; that’s the first thing you’ll notice when listening to this album. The mandolin is plucked or strummed, with a resulting volume that is softer than a guitar. 

Biesterfeldt’s instrument isn’t amplified ... nor, for that matter, is the accompanying bass.

Adam Armstrong is the bassist in question; Eric Halvorson handles drums. Their support of Biesterfeldt is masterful. This trio doesn’t come across as three guys who sit down and jam; every one of these 16 tracks is beautifully arranged. The melodic lines are delivered in unison, with the emphasis and excursions from the basic melody done precisely and meticulously. Since most of the tunes are mid- to up-tempo, the result is stunning. 

Armstrong’s bass lines often are exact duplicates of those on the mandolin: no mean feat on compositions such as Dizzy Gillespie’s “Bebop,” as just one example. 

Many of the tunes are composed by jazz artists; a few are standards; several were written by guitarists; and the rest are familiar R&B oldies. Regardless of origin, they’re all terrific.

But this album’s key attraction is the fact that these musicians are having fun, and it shows. I don’t know whether Biesterfeldt even attempted to get a major label to handle the resulting album, but — fortunately — he was happy enough to produce it himself. 

I love seeing — and listening to — folks who have a ball performing together. You just can’t beat the energy. 

Ali Ryerson: Game Changer

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Game Changer

Flutes didn’t become a common jazz instrument until the latter years of the big band era, when members of the reed sections added it to their arsenal of horns. But once the flute appeared, it became essential; the soft, airy sound produced by the various tonal models had a marvelous impact on the way the band sounded. This emergence of flutes also prompted the creation of arrangements that were more complex and interesting, both for the musicians and the audience.

This album’s featured orchestra consists of 16 flautists backed by a rhythm section of piano, bass and drums. Five different flute models are utilized: C and alto, bass, piccolo and contrabass. Most of the musicians are fluent on more than one model. The arrangements replace the usual brass section horns with the reed instruments, producing a softer, less brilliant sound. This results in more balladic, and danceable meters. Don’t be fooled, though; this is jazz, and it swings every bit as much as the bands and combos that use brass horns.

A casual read through the liner notes reveals no indication of artists who use flutes as a “secondary” instrument. This cadre is composed of pure flautists; as a result, only true “flute groupies” are apt to recognize any names. That said, all of these players know and enjoy jazz; just listen to their solos and ensemble phrasing. (Needless to say, Ryerson’s great rhythm section — Mark Levine, Rufus Reid and Akira Tana — doesn’t hurt!) 

But don’t take my word for it; give this album a listen. As the title promises, it’s a true game changer!

Frank Wess: Magic 201

IPO Recordings
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Magic 201

I reviewed a wonderful IPO album a few months back: Frank Wess’ Magic 101. I stated that it was the best jazz record I’d heard that year. Well, thanks to splendid foresight, Magic 201 was recorded during that same session ... and it’s every bit as sensational as its predecessor. 

The cast of artists has changed slightly, but the result still is some of the best music you’ve ever heard. Wess plays both tenor sax and flute; Kenny Barron returns on piano, and Winard Harper repeats on drums. They’re joined by bassist Rufus Reid and guitarist Russell Malone. Once again, the selected menu includes some wonderful standards (“It Could Happen to You,” “After Paris” and others), and a couple of Wess originals (“Blues for Ruby” and “If You Can’t Call, Don’t Come”). It’s all danceable; two of the charts are mid-tempo, while the rest are ballads.

Wess demonstrates his chops as a flautist on Bergman and Legrand’s “The Summer Knows”; he uses his tenor sax on the rest of the tunes. In all cases, his gorgeous tone and marvelous timing are to die for. As for his forays into the blues, nothing could groove more intently. Barron’s piano is superior, as always; Reid’s bass is solid; and Harper’s drumming is just wonderful ... swinging, but never getting in the way of the other artists. 

The addition of Malone on guitar is brilliant; this “relative youngster” fits into the group splendidly, and more than holds his own during the solo passages.

Let’s hope IPO has additional Magic chapters to lay on us, in the near future.

Mike Jones: Plays Well with Others

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Plays Well with Others

You’re probably not familiar with pianist Mike Jones unless you’re a regular visitor to Las Vegas, and a fan of magicians Penn & Teller; Jones became an opening act for their show in 2006, and is with them still, as I write this review. Jones provides an hour of music — with a beaming Penn Jillette on bass — before the magicians take the stage for the main event.

Jones, born in 1962, was performing professionally by the age of 10. At the suggestion of Oscar Peterson, he attended Boston’s Berklee School of Music, after which he pursued a career as a studio musician. In addition to being an on-air pianist, Jones performed with Boston and New York City jazz groups; as his local fame grew, he became part of events such as the “Floating Jazz Concerts” that were held on the SS Norway and Queen Elizabeth II. 

Jones’ style is traditional, rather than bop, and he loves the old standards. This album contains a baker’s dozen of classic tunes: “Besame Mucho,” “It’s a Wonderful World,” “September Song,” “Detour Ahead,” “Day by Day” and others that will bring back memories. Fans who’ve seen him in Vegas know that he often plays at blazing speeds; his right hand is like lightning, and his left hand is much “busier” than what you’ll hear from an average pianist. 

For this album, though, Jones has toned down the “Gee, look how fast I am” fireworks; instead, he concentrates on the wonderful melodic lines found within these standards.

Jones is joined by Jeff Hamilton, one of the finest drummers playing today, and 21-year-old bass prodigy Mike Gurrola. As expected, they provide smooth and swinging support. You’d camp out at any lounge or concert hall to hear this trio, and you’d totally enjoy these guys.

Adam Rongo: Tell Your Story

D Clef Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Tell Your Story

Saxophonist/composer Adam Rongo heads up a wonderfully swinging unit here: a group that brings back fond memories of the best bands that graced us when jazz truly was king. The basic unit is a sax/trombone/piano/bass/drum quintet, but eight guest artists are sprinkled throughout this album’s 11 track menu; as a result, the average combo size is closer to a septet. 

None of these players is well known ... yet. They’re mostly in their 20s and 30s and, although still under the radar at the moment, are well on the way to future stardom.

The core quintet features Rongo (sax), Michael Dease (trombone), Emmet Cohen (piano), Rodney Whitaker (bass) and Ulysses Owens Jr. (drums). Guitarist Randy Napoleon, vibraphonist Behn Gillece and baritone saxman Tony Lustig expand the instrumentalists; additionally, Anthony Stanco (trumpet), Tim Mayer (tenor sax), Miki Hayama (piano) and Evan Sherman (drums) sit in on some tracks. 

Three old standards — “Stardust,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is” and “Your Mine, You” — are given lovely, up-to-date treatments. The rest of the tunes, written by members of the band and Johnny Green, Johnny Griffin and Jimmy Heath, are up-tempo swingers that bring the party to life. My favorite is a roaring rendition of Griffin’s “Fifty-Six”; if it doesn’t get you movin’ and groovin’, nothing will. 

This is the kind of stuff that used to move the audience off the dance floor, to gather around the band!

Great musicians and great arrangements: a wonderful release.

Dave Slonaker Big Band: Intrada

Origin Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Intrada

Oh, how I miss the big bands! 

And, as a result, how grateful I am for releases such as this one from Dave Slonaker, who feel the same emptiness, and occasionally fill it with great “temporary” groups. 

Unless you’re part of the musical world, Slonaker probably isn’t on your jazz scope. But if you’re a movie or television fan, you’ve been exposed to him many times during the past 20 years. He has arranged or orchestrated the music for dozens of films and TV shows. A partial list includes Oz, the Great and Powerful, Frankenweenie, Little Fockers, Men in Black 3, Milk, Night at the Museum, Charlotte’s Web, The Legend of Zorro, Jag and many, many more. We therefore can take for granted that his skills are far better than his lack of a “name” might suggest.

This big band is the newest of his endeavors, and Intrada is the group’s debut release. It’s a truly large unit: five woodwinds, five trumpets/flugelhorns, four trombones and a rhythm section consisting of piano, bass and drums. Slonaker arranged all the tunes and directed this stellar group.

This is the smoothest orchestra that I’ve heard in years. The arrangements are superb; the solo work, distributed among the cadre of artists, is sensational. There’s nothing not to like, but the highlight arrangement is a visit to the old standard, “It’s Only a Paper Moon.” It’s a wonderful melody, and Slonaker’s arrangement brings it back to life in an intriguing way.

I hope to hear a lot more from these artists.

Tom Kennedy: Just Play

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Just Play

The more albums I review, the more I become convinced that the prime age for jazz artists begins in their 50s and 60s. The all-star group fronted for this album by bassist Tom Kennedy is proof positive. Kennedy, drummer Dave Weckl, pianist Renee Rosnes, trumpeter Tim Hagans and trombonist John Allred are in their 50s; tenor saxmen Steve Wirts and George Garzone, and guitarists Mike Stern and Lee Ritenour, are in their 60s. These artists aren’t old; they’re at the top of their craft!

Further, several are masters on their instruments. Weckl is one of the best big-band drummers I’ve ever heard; he reads arrangements impeccably, catches every inflection and emphasis, and drives the entire group marvelously, without getting in the way of the soloists. That said, his own solos always are works of art. Kennedy is equally talented on the bass; he began studying on the upright instrument, then added electric models to his arsenal. His ability to produce more complex chords and blazing speeds on electric basses carried over to the uprights, his instrument of choice on this album. His dexterity on solo passages is breathtaking.

Rosnes has been a first-call jazz artist for years, but remains relatively unknown to the public, and I don’t know why. Perhaps a partial explanation lies in her Canadian heritage, and the fact that she began her musical career in the classical genre. She was turned onto jazz by a high school teacher. Even so, she was performing classical concerts in the early 1980s, and was awarded a Canada Council of the Arts grant before moving to New York City to further her studies. After joining Joe Henderson’s quartet in ’86, she turned to jazz with a vengeance. She has played with the jazz Who’s Who, and has an extensive discography in our favorite genre. I’ve become a huge fan; she’s a great straight-ahead artist.

Every member of this group is excellent, and the album title perfectly describes its contents. This is pure, swinging, exciting music, and the artists obviously are having a ball.

The menu includes compositions that have become key elements of the

jazz dictionary: Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’,” Freddie Hubbard’s “Ceora,” Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way,” Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love” and several others. 

                                                                

You’ll love this release!