CD Review: Doug MacDonald "Live In Hawaii"

Guitarist, Composer, Arranger and Radio personality, Doug MacDonald has recently released his latest CD, "Live In Hawaii" and it's a beauty.  MacDonald has been praised many times over the years for his beautiful and sensitive renditions of some of the great ballads from the Great American Songbook,  but he has taken off the gloves for his new CD and comes out swinging!  He has put together a super, talented group of musicians for this up-tempo CD.  As soon as I listened to the first song on this CD, "My Shining Hour" it reminded me of one of my very favorite Jazz groups from the past, the Modern Jazz Quartet.  I have to say adding the very talented Noel Okimoto on Vibraphone to Doug's usual configuration of Drums and Bass gives the quartet the room they need to swing out.  Darryl Pellegrini is on Drums and Dean Taba is on Bass.  

This new CD takes no time to get used to, instant gratification for any Jazz buff.  It's so great to hear a  Vibraphone playing in a Jazz quartet again!   Doug has written two of the 7 songs on this CD, and they are both terrific Jazz tunes, "Cat City Samba" and "Bossa Don".  The arrangements are classic Doug MacDonald, new, exciting and understandable.  

I have been very fortunate to know and hear Doug play for many years in the California desert,  mostly in  a Jazz Club in Cathedral City, CA where I am sure the inspiration for "Cat City Samba" was born.  Doug performs all over the country including in Hawaii where he lived for several years.  This CD was recorded live at the Hawaii Public Radio's Atherton Performing Arts Studio in Hawaii.  Doug has performed with most of the giants of jazz during his long successful Jazz career including the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Jack Sheldon, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich just to mention a few.

If you love to listen to a swinging Jazz quartet this CD will thrill you.  Thank you Doug MacDonald for all your efforts to bring us the best in Jazz in this CD and all your other great releases!

I have attached two cuts from this CD, the first is "My Shining Hour" and the second is a Doug MacDonald original "Cat City Samba".     

                                           

                                                                       "My Shining Hour"

                                                                        "Cat City Samba"

     PLAYLIST:

1. My Shining Hour

2. Cat City Samba

3. Blues in the Closet

4. Star Eyes

5. Bassa Don

6. Lester Leaps In

7. Stranger In Paradise                  

       PLAYERS:

Doug MacDonald- Guitar

Noel Okimoto- Vibraphone

Dean Taba- Bass

Darryl Pellegrini- Drums