CD Review: Doug MacDonald, "Big Band Extravaganza"

Guitarist, Composer and Arranger Doug MacDonald has recently released his first CD by the Doug MacDonald Big Band.  Doug leads the 17-piece Jazz Orchestra performing 9 original compositions and one Gershwin standard, "But Not For Me".  Doug has done recordings with almost every configuration but this is his first try at leading a Big Swinging Band.  Lovers of the big band sound will love this CD and this is another milestone Doug can add to his rich resume.  Doug is one of the premier, in demand Guitarists performing today.  He has recorded with Buddy Rich, Ray Charles, Bill Holman and Jack Sheldon, just to name a few.  He also has published several terrific new CDs over the past couple of years that I have reviewed.  

Considering the fact that Doug performs live almost every night in the Southern California area, I have no idea how he finds time to compose and arrange beautiful music, MC a Jazz radio show and release two or three new CDs every year.   Doug is a dedicated Jazz musician who is committed to keeping Jazz alive and well!  

The "Big Band Extravaganza" showcases the big band's swinging sound thanks to Doug's excellent compositions and brilliant arrangements.  Doug has brought together some of the finest musicians in the country to perform his songs on this CD.   The results will be satisfying to every Jazz fan and especially to the lovers of the historical big band sound.

I have attached two "YouTubes" for your listening pleasure.  The first one is the MacDonald original, "Ya Know Bill".   This performance contains solos from Trumpeter Carl Saunders who sadly recently died.  Those of you who are familiar with Carl Saunders work,  know what a big loss this is for the Jazz world; RIP Carl!

The second cut I have attached is the Gershwin classic, "But Not For Me" with a great solo from Rickey Woodard on Tenor Sax.

PLAYLIST:

1.  Toluca Lake Jazz

2. Rashomon

3. Luces Azules

4. Aventura En Triadas

5. Desert Jazz

6. Luz De Amour

7. De Ha

8. But Not For Me

9. Minor Mess

10. Ya Know Bill

PLAYERS:

Doug MacDonald- Guitar, Leader, Composer, Arranger

Kim Richmond, Alex Budman- Alto Sax

Rickey Woodard, Glen Berger- Tenor Sax

Tim McKay- Baritone Jazz

Ira Nepus, Les Benedict, Ivan Malespin, Rich Bullock- Trombones

Mike Campagna, Dan Fornero, Aaron Janik, Carl Saunders- Trumpets

Bill Cunlifffe- Piano (Day 1)

Andy Langham- Piano (Day 2)

Chuck Berghofer- Bass

Paul Kreibich- Drums

                                                                "Ya Know Bill"

                                                                   "But Not For Me"

                      

CD Review: The Horizons Jazz Orchestra, "The Brite Side"

 

One of the greatest benefits I receive from publishing CD reviews is the opportunity it gives me to experience new music and the musicians that created it.   The new CD from The Horizons Jazz Orchestra, "The Bright Side" is a perfect example of what I am talking about.   This wonderful big band CD was created through the efforts of the Executive Producer Jeannette C. Pina  and the Musical Director and Producer Michael Balogh.  The CD is a tribute to Composer/Arranger Lee Harris.  Lee Harris was a Baritone Sax player and also a brilliant Composer and Arranger who worked in New York City and Atlantic City.  Harris and Trumpeter Dennis Noday were both alumnus of the Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson bands and when you listen to the two cuts I have attached, the Kenton/Ferguson influence in both sounds and Arrangements will be very clear.

The music The Horizons Jazz Orchestra produces is big and bold music that is very understandable even to those who have not heard a lot of the traditional big band sounds.  The musicianship from the members of this band is incredibly outstanding.  Adding to the wonderful sound of this Orchestra are three guest musicians who I am sure some of you will recognize:  Carl Saunders, Jonathan Joseph and Billy Ross.  I have had the pleasure of hearing Trumpeter virtuoso Carl Saunders perform in person many times and he never fails to overachieve my musical expectations.  He is a brilliant musician and is featured on five of the ten tracks.  Jonathan Joseph who performs on four tracks is a Grammy-winning Drummer who is known for his work with Spyro Gyra, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets and David Sanborn.  He has toured with Jeff Beck during the last seven years.  And Woodwind Specialist and Jazz great Billy Ross has been a member of the Woody Herman Orchestra and then played with a long list of music greats including Natalie Cole, Barry Manilow, the Four Tops and the O'Jays. 

This CD with its outstanding musicianship, exciting arrangements and some rarely heard compositions from Lee Harris while new to most listeners will seem comfortable and familiar to most!  I give special thanks to Jeannette Pina and Michael Balogh for creating this tribute to Lee Harris, an unheralded but talented Arranger and Composer. 

Playlist:    

1. Red Apple Sweet

2. Pure Imagination

3. After You've Gone, Finally

4. The Runner

5. Fourth Dimension

6. The Brite Side

7. The Sound

8. Summertime

9. Maria

10. A Train Bossa

Players:  

Reeds: Scott Klarman, Mike Brignola, Billy Ross, Joe Mileti, Randy Emerick

Trombones: Michael Balogh, Jason Pyle, Tom Lacy, Steven Mayer

Trumpets: Dennis Noday, Ryan Chapman, Jack Wengrosky, Fernando Ferrarone, Chaim Rubinov

Rhythm Section: Gary Mayone, Ranses Colon, Luke Williams, George Mazzeo

Featuring Carl Saunders, Jonathan Joseph and Billy Ross 

I have attached two "YouTubes" for your listening enjoyment.  The first tune is titled "After You've Gone, Finally".  It's a Harris take-off on the familiar standard.  Saunders and Ross take solos along with Gary Mayone on Keys, Scott Klarman on Alto Sax.

                                                            "After You've Gone, Finally"
The second tune is one of my favorite Maynard Ferguson's Big Band standards, "Maria". It's an inspiring solo by Dennis Noday.

                                                                            "Maria"

 

"The Phil Norman Tentet" Wows an Overflow Crowd at Pete Carlson's Golf and Tennis Store in Palm Desert, CA

I would venture that any real Jazz fan living in Southern California knows that on Saturday nights the only place to be is at Peter Carlson's Golf and Tennis Store in Palm Desert, CA.  During the day, Pete's place is one of the biggest and best golf and tennis stores in the country but on most Saturday nights, Pete's team cleans out the golf bags and golf clubs in one room and as if by magic, it turns into a Jazz Club!  Pete rolls out a baby Grand and then it's straight-ahead Jazz for the night.  Pete has been hosting these world-class Jazz sessions since 2010.  The proceeds from these 30 or so concerts each season go to support music education and scholarships for young musicians in the Coachella Valley and the American Jazz Institute.  It's a great win for everyone.  Jazz lovers get to hear the best current live Jazz in the Country, and the kids get financial support to keep music playing in their schools!  It's a lot of work for Pete and his wife Edna, but it is a labor of love!

Pete is also a founder, director and broadcaster at a new local 24-hour Jazz radio station right here in Palm Desert, KAJI 95.3 FM.  For anyone not living in this area, you can tune in to the station by logging onto your computer at www.amjazzin.org.   The radio broadcasting legend, Alan Schulz is the program director for KAJI and also hosts his own show.  Alan has spent the major part of his life involved in the Jazz world and has wonderful stories he shares about every Jazz great, past or current. 

Tonight Pete hosted "The Phil Norman Tentet" one of the most talented and respected Jazz bands playing today.  The musicians in this band are stellar, every single one is multi-talented and a Jazz star in his own right.  Take a look at the advertisement posted above and you are sure to know most of the veterans who play in this band.  This wonderful band filled the house wall to wall with Jazz fans from all over the Valley and they were not disappointed.  From the first downbeat, these masters of Jazz performed one great Jazz tune after another.  The arrangement charts were also as good as it gets bringing memories of the great bands from years ago.  Mark your schedule for next week, Saturday, January 26 when the outstanding flutist, Holly Hofmann, will be joined by the Mike Wofford Quartet. 

The band played many great songs last night, but I particularly enjoyed their arrangement of "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and I have attached a "YouTube" of the band performing it.

CD Review: Ginger Berglund & Scott Whitfield sing "Solitary Moon", The Johnny Mandel Songbook

"Solitary Moon" is a major league tribute to one of the best composers of Jazz, Pop and Film Music, Johnny Mandel. He has long been recognized within the music industry as one of its creative giants yet, it has always been my belief that Johnny Mandel has never received the deserved level of credit from the music public. But make no mistake about it, the multitalented Mandel is equal to the best songwriters and musicians of the past 100 years.

This CD starts with a tribute to Johnny Mandel, but that is not where the magic ends. Ginger Berglund and Scott Whitfield could have recorded this CD with just the two of them, and I know this CD would have been terrific. However, Ginger and Scott chose to bring along some of the most respected musicians performing on the Jazz scene today. The result is a musical product that is close to perfection music and a musical treat for the ears.

Ginger Berglund has a sterling resume of work as a vocalist including recording with Steve Allen and the great pianist Paul Smith. She has sung with Kenny Rankin and the great Brazilian Jazz vocalist Flora Purim and her husband, the premiere fusion Jazz Percussionist Airto Moreira. Ginger still performs with the Stan Kenton Alumni Band, The Modernaires, The Tracy Wells Big Band and the Jumpin' Joz Band.

Scott Whitfield is a world class Trombonist, Arranger and Singer. He is internationally recognized for his work with many contemporary big bands, including the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, The Clare Fischer Bib Band, The Bill Holman Band, The Phil Norman Tentet and his own Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra. Whitfield also plays trombone for the Johnny Mandel Orchestra.

Ginger and Scott chose 15 tracks for this CD and Whitfield did all the arrangement from big band to small group, from vocal duets to a cappella five-part harmony.  Singing together they treat us with beautiful Mandel melodies and perfect harmonies that you will seldom hear today. They are perfect singing together! Both Berglund and Whitfield are also members of the Modernaires, the legendary vocal group that performed in the 1940's for The Glenn Miller Band. Whitman is also a member of the LAVA (Los Angeles Vocal Alliance), a new vocal group of brass players who sing in four-part harmony. They make their recording debut on Whitfield's version of the Mandel classic, "Emily".

I can't end this review without listing the superb list of musicians that contributed to this wonderful CD. I am sure that you will know many of them from their past work. Thank you Ginger and Scott for sharing your wonderful musical talents with us!

Ginger Berglund: Voice                     Scott Whitfield: Voice, Trombone, All arrangements
Corey Allen: Piano                            Jennifer Laitham: Bass
Kendall Kay: Drums                         Roger Neumann: Tenor Sax, Bari Sax, Bass Clarinet
Rusty Higgins: Alto Sax, Flute, Alto Clarinet       Billy Kerr: Alto Sax
Pete Christieb: Tenor Sax, Clarinet   Nancy Newman: Bari Sax
Jamie Hovorke: Trumpet                   Carl Saunders: Trumpet
Ira Nepus: Trumbone                         Linda Small: Trombone
Rich Nullock: Bass Trombone           John Dickson: Horn
Stephanie O'Keefe: Horn

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Ken Peplowski: Clarinet                    Don Shelton: Clarinet
Jack Peterson: Guitar                         Airto Moreira: Percussion

The Modernaires: Julie Dickson, Ginger Berglund, Jimmy Stephens, Joe Croyle, Scott Whitfield 

Lava: Jonathan Dane, Larry Williams, Scott Whitfield, Rich Bullock


I have attached a "YouTube" video of Ginger and Scott singing the first cut from "Solitary Moon"                                                      "Cinnamon & Clove".

CD Review: "Diane Hubka Goes To The Movies"

Last month I published information about a new CD, "From California With Love" that was recorded by a talented group of West Coast Musicians with the sole purpose to raise money for Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Relief.  I learned about the effort from one of the talented musicians who recorded on the CD, Diane Hubka.  Diane  found my blog and enjoyed the live music reviews I did last winter from the Palm Springs, California area. I really loved the way Diane sang on the "From California With Love" CD and I wanted to find out more about her.  Turns out she was performing to rave reviews in the New York City area for many years before moving to Hollywood California in 2004 where she collaborated with pianist Christian Jacob (who married the daughter of one of my all-time trumpet  faves', Maynard Ferguson).  Christian Jacob has also recorded with the uniquely talented Tierney Sutton.  Together Diane and Christian recorded "Diane Hubka Goes to the Movies" in 2007, and I decided to review the CD.

Diane Hubka is not just another singer!  In addition to singing, Diane plays a 7-string guitar with great skill and improvisation. She selects her material like a fine chef selecting just the right products at a food market. After her move from NYC to Hollywood Diane picked 13 songs that were written for movies, some standards and others relatively unknown but still great songs. According to Diane "It seemed the logical choice. Since coming here, I've enjoyed working with some fantastic West-Coast musicians, many who've made their living at least in part from playing in the studios."  The arrangements are wonderful and were all written by Christian Jacob. Diane chose all the musicians for the band from those she had heard and worked with after moving to California. The group includes Christian Jacob on Piano and did the arrangements, Carl Saunders on Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Larry Koonse on Guitar, Chris Colangelo on Bass and Joe LaBarbera on Drums.

There are 13 songs on this CD all taken from movies from 1937-79 and none of them are easy to play or sing.  Diane really gets to show her professional singing skills to the fullest on this CD and also solos, singing and playing her 7 string classical guitar on Track #12, "Manha de Carnaval" more popularly known as "A Day In The Life Of A Fool".  My other favorites were Track #1 "All God's Children Got Rhythm" from 1937 movie "A Day at the Races".  It's a perfect opening number for the group with everyone in the group making their presence known. Track #4, "Lovers in New York" from the 1961 movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was written by Henry Mancini, Jay Livingston and Ray Evans swings with great Trumpet work from Carl Saunders. Track #5, "He's a Tramp" from the 1955 movie "Lady and the Tramp" written by the great Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke played in an up-tempo Samba rhythm that fits the song perfectly.  Track #7 "I'm Old Fashioned" written by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer for the 1942 movie "You Were Never Lovelier" features some great piano and Guitar work by Christian Jacobs and Larry Koonse. Track #9 "Close Enough for Love" from the 1979 movie "Agatha" showcases some outstanding Piano and Bass work from Jacob and Colangelo. Track # 11 "Wild is the Wind" the old Johnny Mathis hit from the 1957 movie of the same name features a great up-tempo rhythm used very effectively to showcase an outstanding piano solo from Christian Jacob. There is one member of the group that needs some praise for his skillful performance on this CD, Drummer Joe LaBarbera.  Joe has done some outstanding playing with the great Bill Evans and shows us on this CD why Bill Evans loved him.  Joe fits his percussion work into every song and rhythm perfectly, never overplaying or underplaying Diane or any member of the group.  Great Job, Joe.

If you like great jazz singing combined with some smooth jazz instrumental sounds, this CD is for you.  Diane Hubka is the real thing.  Her singing skills are finely tuned and she is not afraid to push aside the safety net of the classic songs of the "Great American Songbook" and experiment with new approaches to new and old songs in her own personal way.

You can preview this CD on iTunes and I urge you to do so.  Diane's first CD "Haven't We Met" was released in 1999 featured alto sax legend Lee Konitz and received Jazz Nomination for "Best Recording Debut".  Her Latest CD "You Inspire Me" was released in Japan in 2007.

Note to all my California readers: Diane will be performing live on Oct. 20 at Vitello's Jazz & Super Club, 4349 Tujunga Blvd., Studio City Ca. 91604.  Reservations: 818-769-0905  If you are in the area, make the effort to catch her show, you will not regret it!