By Dee Dee McNeil
April 7, 2024
As the world turns, news circles about politics, wars, and aggression on networks from continent to continent. Music is a lovely way to lift your spirit and calm your nerves. Science has proven that jazz music and European classical music both can enhance intelligence and performance in various areas of the brain. Jazz can sooth and heal. Jazz even affects plants. I have a philodendron plant that has been sitting on top of my CD speakers for ten years. It loves music. When I play jazz, the leaves wiggle and dance. It prefers music to water. The plant has been lush with life for over a decade. Dorothy L. Retallack’s study of 1973, at the Colorado Woman’s College in Denver, supports the fact that plants, like human beings, love music. Below are some jazz releases that I hope will bring you jazz joy. Note: for more info about how music heals see: https://newyorkjazzworkshop.com/jazzs-effects-brain/
FRED HERSCH – “SILENT, LISTENING” – ECM Records
Fred Hersch, solo piano/composer.
There is exuberant joy and then there is a quiet joy. That’s what this new album of solo piano music by Fred Hersch reminds me of, a quiet joy. He opens with “Star-Crossed Lovers” written by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington. The peace I find in his presentation settles my spirit and soaks into the walls of my listening room. He follows this with a flurry of original compositions, each unfolding like the quick page-turning of an exciting book. I can’t wait to hear what he will play next. Hersch builds suspense and creativity into every musical phrase. His left hand locks the chords into place and establishes tempos and grooves, reaching out to his right hand like an old friend. The two hands lock this composition into place. Hersch explores his music meticulously, the way a doctor operates on a patient. He probes his inner brain, offering us imaginative, exploratory melodies and harmonies that pour out of this pianist. This album is art for the ears.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
CHET BAKER & JACK SHELDON – “IN PERFECT HARMONY: THE LOST ALBUM” – Jazz Detective
Chet Baker, trumpet/vocals; Jack Sheldon, trumpet/vocals; Jack Marshall, guitar; Dave Frishberg, piano; Joe Mondragon, bass; Nick Ceroli, drums.
These two master musicians open with the familiar standard from the American Songbook, “This Can’t Be Love.” First Jack Sheldon sings the tune down in his own inimitable way, followed by Chet Baker’s smooth, soothing voice doing the same. This is followed by “Just Friends” with Baker singing atop the swing, and Joe Mandragon’s walking bass pushing the music ahead. Sheldon has contributed one original tune to this project called “Too Blue” that he both sings and plays on, joining the smooth tones of Baker, with his more boisterous tones bright and brash.
This is an album steeped in history, but I found this a somewhat odd match. Surprisingly, the abrasive Jack Sheldon and the cool, laid-back Baker make quite an unforgettable duo. “But Not For Me” begins as an instrumental that features Dave Frishberg on piano. Then Chet Baker’s satin coated vocals slide into view.
This music was recorded in 1972 in Tustin, California. It all started years earlier with Jack Marshall, who was a jazz guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer. In 1967, Marshall organized guitar night at Donte’s in North Hollywood. Every Monday, a great jazz guitarist would sit in with the best players in the city and play for scale at the packed restaurant and nightclub. In those days, musicians just loved to get together and play. It wasn’t always just about the money. This was a period when Baker and Sheldon became very close friends. They both shared a mentor, Uan Rasey, who (at that time) was widely considered one of the finest musicians in the music business. Both Baker & Sheldon idolized him.
In 1966, Chet got into a brawl outside his hotel in Sausalito. He wound up with a busted, bloody mouth and broken teeth. That’s not a good thing for a trumpet player. Chet’s embouchure was ruined, and he had to get dentures. During this rehabilitation time, his mentor (Uan) suggested he try a larger, different sized mouthpiece to make playing easier. It worked, but Baker was still feeling insecure and unhappy with his new sound. Consequently, he was quite reluctant to record again. One day in 1972, Jack Sheldon had an idea.
“Just think Chetie, (a pet name he had for Chet Baker) if we do an album together, you’ll only have to play on half of it!” Jack Sheldon lured him into the studio with that line.
Guitarist Jack Marshall took the two of them into a Tustin, California studio near their homes on Lido Island. Once the recording was complete, Marshall was certain he could get a record deal with the unplanned recording. Unfortunately, on September of 1973, Jack Marshall died of a sudden heart attack and the tapes got packed away in his garage on Lido Island. Now, fifty years later, here is the lost gem of an album that the jazz detective (Zev Feldman) has uncovered.
Jack Sheldon and Chet Baker were buddies and often jam-session partners. As different as they were, the two men still had much in common. They were both expert trumpeters and both men could sing. They were both born in the same era, a few years apart, and both relocated to California from other parts of the country. Jack Sheldon, born Beryl Cyril Sheldon Jr., came from Jacksonville, Florida. Chet Baker, born Chesney Henry Baker, came from Yale Oklahoma. They both changed their names for show business. Sheldon’s style of singing is brash, the same way he plays his trumpet. In contrast, Baker became an example for California’s West Coast Jazz scene, smooth and low-key. Sheldon was always the lively hipster, joking around, loud, and boisterous. On the outside, Chet Baker seemed quiet and somewhat shy, until he picked up his horn. Baker had a voice that could calm an angry storm. One thing the two trumpeters had in common was they both liked to live on the edge.
“Chetie has an old ’32 Ford and a Cadillac. He drove real fast,” Sheldon shared with a wide, obnoxious grin on his face.
Sheldon relived how the two men would get in Chet’s car and race up and down the Southern California freeways, from Santa Barbara to San Diego, driving way too fast and looking for any nightclub that would let them play their jazzy horns. They weren’t trying to get a gig. They just wanted to play, even if it meant marching up on stage and playing all night for free.
Shortly after this unusual session, Chet Baker’s comeback started in 1973. This is an unplanned, unpredictable recording session that showcases two exceptional trumpet talents and songsters, meeting impromptu for an unscheduled studio session. The result is history.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
CHRIS STANDRING – “AS WE THINK” – Ultimate Vibe Recording
Chris Standring, guitar/composer; Andre Berry, bass; Chris Coleman, drums; Terry Disley, piano; Larry Steen, double bass; Lenny Castro, percussion; Aaron Janik, trumpet; Brandon Fields, alto saxophone; Katisse Buckingham & Dino Soldo, tenor saxophone/harmonica; Ido Meshulam, trombone; Rodney Lee, organ; Walter Murphy, horn arrangements.
The opening tune on Chris Standring’s new album titled, “As We Think” is called “Chocolate Cake.” Standring sweetens the arrangement with the use of a ‘talk box’ relying heavily on his invigorated rhythm section. On Track #2, a tune called “Good Gracious,” introduces horns into the mix. With Chris Coleman’s drums slapping the rhythm in place, Standring’s guitar improvises over the repetitious groove. His music makes me want to get into my convertible, put the top down, and zoom up the highway under a sun-soaked sky. Standring creates music that encourages movement and dancing. His music is joyful, even when the tempo slows down. For example, on the R&B arranged tune, “Come Closer” there is still a compelling pulse to his arrangement. This tune incorporates elements of an Earth, Wind & Fire production, as Standring digs down into the soul of the 1970s. He says this is one of his favorite tunes recorded on this recent production.
The first radio single is titled, “Alphabet Soup.” It’s a bouncy little tune with a catchy melody that features guest artists Dino Soldo on tenor sax, with a Los Angeles-based horn section and the addition of organist, Rodney Lee. In my opinion, you can’t beat a guitar and jazz organ production. Coleman’s funky drums propel the piece forward with high energy. I enjoy the flavor that the organ brings to this party.
Standring debuted as a solo artist back in 1998 with an album called “Velvet.”
Twelve years later, in 2010 he smashed onto the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart with a number one single from his “Bossa Blues” release. He repeated the number one single accomplishment four more times as featured guest guitarist on singles by Thom Rotella, Cindy Bradley, Rick Braun, and Richard Elliot.
Consistently, Standring’s music has reflected his talents as a gifted composer with arrangements that pulsate with energy and drive. This could also stem from surrounding himself with great musicians, including Chris Coleman on drums who is featured on a tune titled, “Michael’s Watch.” This original becomes one of my favorites on this release. It shuffles onto the scene, with Standring’s guitar introducing the melody and the click of Coleman’s drumsticks commanding my attention. My foot automatically taps to the beat.
Having waited sixty-plus years to finally fall in love, Chris recently put a ring on it and is enjoying his first marriage. He feels that the happiness he’s experiencing has colored the music on this album. “As We Think” reflects his mindset of hopeful positivity. It also captures the marital bliss that true love can bring. Standring’s music radiates joy.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
JIM ROTONDI – “FINESSE” – Cellar Music Group
Jim Rotondi, composer/producer/trumpeter; Jakub Helling, arranger/conductor; NOTES & TONES JAZZ ORCHESTRA: Mario Gonzi, co-leader/drums; Danny Grissett, piano; Karol Hodas & Tim Dunin, bass; GUEST SOLOISTS: Dick Oatts, soprano saxophone; Steve Davis, trombone; Wolfgang Lindenthal, flute; Stefan Peindl, oboe; Julia Gutschlhofer, bassoon; Melissa Danas, horn; TRUMPETS/FLUGELHORNS: Tobias Weidinger, Markus Pechmann, Simon Plötzeneder; Daniel Nösig, co-leader/trumpet/flugelhorn; TROMBONES: Clemens Hofer, Mario Vavti, Johannes Herrlich, Christina Lachberger. Fabio Devigili & Martin Fuss, alto & soprano saxophones/ flute/clarinet; Michael Erian, tenor & soprano saxophone/flute/clarinet; Robert Unterköfler, tenor saxophone/clarinet; Herwig Gradischnig, baritone saxophone/bass clarinet; VIOLINS: Damir Orascanin, Mariya Orininskaya, Balazs Schwartz, Tomas Novak (all violin 1); Anne Harvey-Nagl, Ion Scripcaru, Maximillion Bratt, Amora De Swardt (violin 2.); VIOLA: Lena Fankhauser, Emily Stewart, Annamaria Kowalsky; CELLO: Asja Valcic, Mara Achleitner, Phillipp Preimesberger; Joanna Lewis, concertmaster.
Joe Rotondi has been blowing his trumpet in jazz bands for over three decades, including as a member of ensembles like Toshiko Akiyoshi and Bob Minzer, and in smaller groups headed by Lou Donaldson, Curtis Fuller and Joe Chambers. This is his ninth album release, recorded in Austria where Rotondi currently lives and teaches. It’s a dream-come-true project, his first composing for orchestras and big band. This album may be his most profound and incredible production to date. Rotondi features all original compositions, apart from one written by Jakob Helling, the arranger and conductor of this production. They open with “Ruth,” that skips along at a moderate pace with an undertow of string arrangements bubbling beneath the swing. Rotondi’s trumpet leads the way, like a pied piper.
His composition, “Dark Blue” follows. It’s a ballad that once again features the opulent trumpet tone of Rotondi. On a tune called “Ladybug,” Danny Grisset shines on piano. The horn section is harmonically rich and supportive throughout. Drummer, Mario Gonzi, soaks up the spotlight during the orchestral arrangement on “Designated Hitter.” On this festive orchestra and big band production, Rotondi offers the listener his original compositions, along with bright, boisterous arrangements interpreted by the Notes and Tones Jazz Orchestra. This project also becomes a platform to feature guest soloists, Dick Oatts (on “Falset,” where he plays soprano saxophone) and Steve Davis playing trombone on “Miller Time.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
ALEX BELTRAN – “RIFT” – Calligram Records
Alex Beltran, tenor & soprano saxophone/co-producer/composer; Stu Mindeman, piano/Wurlitzer electric; Sam Peters. Bass; Jon Deitemyer, drums; Lenard Simpson, alto saxophone; Chad McCullough, trumpet/co-producer.
If Straight-ahead is your preference, you will fall in love with Alex Beltran’s album titled “Rift.” Starting from his original composition “Lulu,” Beltran’s horn flies like a wild bird and leads the others with determination and creativity. Beltran has been a fixture on the local Chicago music scene for over a decade. This album is his Calligram debut, and it soars! He has composed seven of the eight songs, and they are all well-written and pumped full of spice as peppery as Cayenne. “Lulu” is a musical tribute to his niece.
The meaning of “Rift” according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a crack, split or break in something. Beltran feels this title best describes his life, torn in two by his Mexican American heritage.
He explains, “I’m a person of mixed culture and there was a pretty big divide between the two worlds I lived in growing up; my dad’s Latino family and my mom’s white family. I never felt like I fit into either. I was the white cousin at my dad’s, and the Mexican cousin at my mom’s.”
This journalist knows that music is universal. What better way to project your own sense of soul and personality than through music. On a tune called “Fragments” the horns make it sound like some kind of traffic jam. When Stu Mindeman races out in front, his improvised piano solo is magnificent. The musicians play at a race car pace, dragging the listeners along by our ears. All that pent-up emotional turmoil that Beltran expressed above is pumped into his music with power and drive. On “Bird Dance” Beltran explains that he wanted to write something that exemplified the awkwardness of shuttling between two cultures while growing up. Mindeman swivels around and plays the Wurlitzer on this arrangement. The melody is catchy and laid down by harmonic horns. Beltran’s solo is tentative and flutters in all directions, perhaps mimicking a confused bird in flight, unsure but still creating his own unique dance.
Clearly, the experiences of our childhood shape us into the adults we become, always with the little child buried deep inside. Those family challenges and experiences that Beltran recalls (perhaps with some disappointment) have helped shape him into the beautiful, gifted, talent that he is now. Not only is he a wonderful composer, but his saxophone songs make me happy. He makes me feel something deep within, like on his composition “Sub Rosa.” Great tune, with wings dipped in the blues. Alex Beltran’s music is captivating and soulful.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
BRANDON GOLDBERG TRIO – “LIVE AT DIZZY’S” – Cellar Music Group
Brandon Goldberg, piano; Ben Wolfe, bass; Aaron Kimmel, drums.
Here is a trio of musicians who make me feel warm and fuzzy as they play a group of familiar, standard tunes I know and love. Goldberg, on piano, is the group leader at the unbelievable age of eighteen years young. But don’t let his age fool you. This talented musician sparkles and shines with a talent far beyond his years. He stands on the shoulders of legendary pianists like Ahmad Jamal, Oscar Peterson, and Nat King Cole. When I listen to this album, I’m thrown back in time to the 1950’s and 1960s, when Supperclub trios were extremely popular, and the trios of Red Garland and Sonny Clark were exploring jazz in new and unbridled ways.
Brandon Goldberg is also investigating new ways of playing old songs. He’s rediscovering the standards that we are comfortable hearing, stuffing them with fresh harmonics and innovative arrangements that modernize old, beautiful tunes like Gershwin’s “It Ain’t Necessarily So” or Harold Arlen’s “Let’s Fall in Love.” This album is particularly dear to Goldberg’s heart because it was recorded at Dizzy’s club.
“The first time I heard music (live) in New York was at Dizzy’s. My parents took me to see the Bill Charlap Trio at their first performance. Now, Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes come to hear us on the first night of our run,” Brandon Goldberg let’s pure awe color each word he speaks.
Although he has toured the world and worked at a plethora of jazz clubs, this ‘live’ recording in New York City, at one of the premiere American jazz clubs, remains his dream-come-true-moment. When Mr. Charlap and his trio opened Jazz at Lincoln Center’s famed venue, (Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola), Brandon Goldberg had to be a toddler. In fact, at the age of three little Brandon surprised his parents by sitting down at the piano and playing with harmonic intelligence, as though he had already taken piano lessons. He made a national impact on Steve Harvey’s “Little Big Shots” show. Also, as a child he appeared on the Harry Connick Jr. television show. In 2013 and 2015, Brandon was the youngest recipient of the Miami Music Club Scholarship. He also won first place in both those years for his Original Composition and Piano Solo Performances. Although the awards keep coming, starting from when he was a preteen, he is most proud of his 2024 Young Arts Winner with Distinction Award. In 2023, he was a semifinalist in the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition and he’s the youngest recipient of the 2022 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award.
In 2019, at age twelve he released his first album titled “Let’s Play!” featuring three of his original compositions and six standards.
In 2021, his second album was released and titled “In Good Time.” It featured the late, great drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr., Luques Curtis on bass, with Stacy Dillard on saxophones and Josh Evans on trumpet. Brandon was fourteen when he recorded this music.
This current release continues to celebrate the genius of Brandon Goldberg. We are witnessing his super talent on piano, his awesome composition skills, and his continuing climb up the jazz ladder, towards the stars and beyond.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
NEAL ALGER – “OLD SOULS” – Calligram Records
Neal Alger, guitar/composer; Clark Sommers, acoustic bass; Dana Hall, drums/cymbals; Chris Madsen, tenor saxophone; Chad McCullough, trumpet/flugelhorn.
Neal Alger is an educator, (professor at Elmhurst College) a guitarist, a composer, and a lover of all genres of music. From the oldest original tune on this recording, one that he wrote almost twenty years ago called “This is not a Test” to the more recent title tune “Old Souls,” Alger is excited about performing an album of entirely original compositions.
“I play a lot of other people’s music. I wanted to carve out a space to play my own music. I enjoy the process of writing, painstaking and frustrating at times, but ultimately fulfilling,” Neal Alger shared in his press package.
This is a return to a more Straight-ahead platform of originality and improvisational freedom. You hear his jazz roots on “This is Not a Test” that swings hard, and then his more ethereal-self appears on the title tune, with its Middle Eastern, minor-driven melody. On Track #3, bassist Clark Sommers takes stage center, opening this song on his instrument and introducing a more smooth-jazz, contemporary tune. Neal has known Clark Sommers since the late 1990s. He’s known drummer, Dana Hall that long too. They are among the first-call bass and drum team around the Chicago, Illinois jazz scene, and longtime friends of Alger. Consequently, they make for a solid rhythm section when they join Alger’s guitar. The addition of Chad McCullough on trumpet and Chris Madsen on tenor sax create the quintet magic that Alger was striving for on this project.
This album is an eclectic musical merry-go-round, that explores the compositions of Neal Alger, highlighting his varied arrangements, distinctive like painted wooden horses bobbing up and down. As you listen, you are invited to take a creative ride with these mid-western musicians. Neal Alger is the ring-master and leads the way with his busy guitar establishing the various moods and melodies. On “Go With the Sco-Flow” the horn parts act like exclamation marks, and punctuate the tune’s melodic arrangement. When Alger adds “Moment Intro” as a segway solo guitar piece, I am intrigued. I wish he had developed this into a longer composition. This leads to “If Only for a Moment,” a song he wrote about the COVID pandemic that features a lovely tenor saxophone solo by Chris Madsen.
“Choro Delinquente” teases the listener with an almost Latin groove and “Dance of the Miscreants” is nine minutes of move and groove, with the sax and trumpet singing the melody in unison on top of the tight rhythm section. When Alger’s guitar solo begins, he has a serious conversation with Hall’s drums. They sound as if they are talking to each other, with Hall quite animated on his drums. Then McCullough’s trumpet talks to the Clark Sommers bass. When Madsen parts the curtains with his tenor saxophone, he is joined by Alger’s guitar as the two instruments meet and greet, holding court on top of the supportive rhythm of Hall and Sommers. When Hall battles his way into the spotlight, he shows off his percussive technique in an explosion of sticks and bravado.
Neal Alger offers us his original music and arrangements that celebrate his appreciation of the moments of rhythm, melody and magic that make up his life works.
* * * * * * * * * * *
EDY FOREY – “CULTURE TODAY” – So Soul Records
Guilhem Forey, keyboards/piano/Fender Rhodes/composer/synth bass/vocals/miscellaneous BG vocals; Edy Szewy, vocals/lyricist/sampling; Tom Gordon, drums/percussions; Femi Koleoso, Isac Jamba, Jonathan Tuitt & Seiya Osaka, drums; Leonn Meade, drums/BG vocals; Adam King, Andrew Robb & Luca Alemanno, double bass; Sharay Reed, Michael League & Dean Mark, electric bass; Carlinhos Percussao, percussions; Manav Sigh, table; Toku, flugelhorn; Alex Hahn & Bob Reynolds, saxophone; Miho Wada & Sarpay Ozcagatay, flute; Dave Frazer, mix; Bob Power, mix/master.
The duo mix of Edy Szewy and Guilhem Forey brings imagination, ingenuity, and improvisation to the forefront like a rainbow. This is music full of color and creativity, beginning with an introduction by Forey on keyboards, his solo embellished by reverb. There is the hint of an old spiritual song captured during his improvised solo and I sing along, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Nobody knows but Jesus.”
The title tune “Culture Today” is sung by lyricist Edy Szewy and kicks off with a strong hip hop beat. Her vocal presentation is reminiscent of Erykah Badu, but unique enough to establish her own style and tone. A song called “The Fire” solidifies this music as a blend of Hip Hop, contemporary and modern jazz, with Guilhem Forey spotlighted on piano.
Their arrangement and treatment of the jazz standard “Nature Boy” is creative and features a strong percussive presence by Tom Gordon. The composition is completely modernized and is one of the few ‘cover tunes’ on this project. Most of these songs are original compositions by these two artists.
A tune called “The System” begins with Edy rapping about this world of celebrity worship, complex with both good and evil doers. The addition of a saxophone to this production creates a very Straight-ahead jazz feel, with the drums playing a funk beat and percussion brightly flavoring their arrangement. You can clearly hear how Edy has been influenced by Motown and rhythm and blues. By mixing in the Hip Hop culture, this duo embarks on a poetic, urban-jazz debut album.
Based in the UK, the duo enters this competitive business of music with a clear message of peace and love reigning over hate and discord. I do hear some control issues with Edy’s vocals. For the benefit of her continued success, I hope she will seek a vocal coach to help her sustain those notes and to control pitch issues. But the enthusiasm and uniqueness of this duo overshadows these fixable challenges. Edy Szewy is a strong and blossoming lyricist who knows how to create ‘hooks’ in her music, that invite the listener to repeat and sing along. This is a commercial strong point.
Her musical partner, Guilhem Forey, was born in Paris and raised in Nantes, France. He was a child prodigy, displaying a strong interest in music as early as age three. When his grandfather introduced him to American R&B icon, Ray Charles and the music of Eric Clapton, Foley’s classical music study broadened. At age eleven, he began studying jazz piano. On this project, Foley knows how to make ‘loops’ and establish grooves for Edy’s voice to float atop. Together, they have established an interesting sound. This music exhibits a sense of non-conformity and lyrical protest. The duo has been performing together since their teen years. Between Foley’s mastery of keyboard and commercial composing, paired with Edy’s artistry, lyricism and freedom, this debut album marks the beginning of a musical adventure plush with magical spontaneity, possibility, and promise.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
VINCE GUARALDI – “IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN” – LMFP Records
Vince Guaraldi, piano; Monty Budwig, double bass; Herb Ellis, guitar; Jack Sperling, drums; Victor Feldman, percussion; Frank Rosolino, trombone; Conti Candoli & Pete Condoli, trumpet; Peter Christlieb & William Hood, woodwinds.
Speaking of joy wrapping arms around music, Vince Guaraldi has done just that with his newest album release. The Charlie Brown comic strip has brought the world continuous joy and laughter for seventy-four years. The strip first debuted on October 2, 1950. However, it’s the music of Vince Guaraldi that has helped propel this legacy forward. On this album you will hear all your familiar favorites and some new tracks that show how smoothly jazz works, even in cartoons. There are thirty-two song references on this compilation CD that will bring to mind the various excursions and adventures of Charlie Brown, Lucy, or Linus and his famous blanket. With a host of master jazz musicians, Vince Guaraldi sitting at his piano, leads the band to offer us a treasure trove of Charlie Brown music memorabilia. You will enjoy these rejuvenated lost soundtracks.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
OWEN BRODER –“HODGES FRONT & CENTER VOL TWO” – Outside In Music
Owen Broder, alto saxophone; Riley Mutherkar, trumpet; Carmen Staaf, piano; Barry Stephenson, bass; Bryan Carter, drums.
Owen Broder grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and holds a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and a master’s from the Manhattan School of Music. Because he is a huge fan of the great altoist, Johnny Hodges, Broder has been celebrating the titan’s work for several years. In 2022, he released his first tribute album to Hodges as a Volume One project that was received enthusiastically by the jazz community and jazz journalists alike.
“Hodges looms large in my approach to music. He was one of my earliest primary influences and has continued to be an important player in the way that I conceptualize playing the alto. I’ve always loved his lyricism and his melodic approach to improvising. Even though some of my other records have been more contemporary in their approach, I try to bring that lyricism and melodic style to whatever context I’m working in,” explains Owen Broder in his press package.
This entire package of music, mostly original compositions by Johnny Hodges, is deeply colored by the Blues. The mostly medium tempos and ballads exemplify what Hodges loved playing. The Owen Broder arrangements bring new life to an era of jazz that celebrated big bands like Duke Ellington’s Orchestra, Stan Getz and Count Basie. The tone of Broder’s saxophone is very similar to that of Johnny Hodges. It’s full of satin smooth phrases and silky warmth, similar to how Hodges would have played these tunes.
“Number one, he loves the blues. Number two, he loves medium tempos and ballads. As both a composer and improviser, he’s very riff based, so motivic development is an important part of his style. If you look at any of the tunes written by Hodges, you’ll find an idea that comes back regularly and makes the tune really accessible and enjoyable for the listener,” Broder asserts.
You hear it in the opening tune, “Used to be Duke” a tune that was the title track from the 1956 album released by Hodges. Broder and his group play it as a lively energetic swing tune. I can picture those Jitterbug dancers out on a polished wooden floor, with the girl’s wide skirt flying up into the air. Carmen Staaf takes a joy-filled solo on piano, and Barry Stephenson is walking his bass close by and supportive. Bran Carter takes a drum solo that screams power, technique, and precision. Then, in walks Rile Mutherkar on trumpet to blow the walls down with Broder close on his heels adding his smooth, 1940-sounding saxophone delivery. This music takes me back to 78rpm records my mother used to play at our house, and a time when big bands were the rage.
I am in love with Owen Broder’s feel and tone on the alto saxophone. Having listened to Johnny Hodges, I can hear the similarities between the two master musicians. Broder has captured his mentor’s tone and phrasing but still maintains his own style. This recording was inspired by Hodges’ “Back to Back” and “Side by Side” small group albums. Broder carefully picked songs that reveal the diversity and brilliance of Hodges as a composer. I enjoyed “Wabash Blues” a song from the Hodges’ “Back to Back” album. It’s a full-blown blues, played down and dirty by these master musicians.
Every carefully, hand-picked song on this project enlists joy and history to entertain and pleasure us. Owen Broder is as brilliant on saxophone as Hodges was. Broder currently teaches Jazz Theory and Jazz Arranging at Portland State University, as well as saxophone lessons at Pacific University. When he’s not recording his own projects, he is a member of the Grammy nominated Anat Cohen Tentet and the Manhattan Saxophone Quartet. The release date for this album is April 19, 2024. * * * * * * * * * * * *
Musicalmemoirs's Blog 