This review covers a new CD from Tenor Saxophonist Keith Oxman and Bassoon virtuoso Frank Morelli and their delightful quartet. Ok, when was the last time you heard a Bassoon playing Jazz? My guess is never or quite a while ago. Bassoon players are usually found in Classical music environments, but no longer. Keith Oxman and Frank Morelli have joined forces to bring us "The Ox-Mo Incident".
Oxman and Morelli give the listener the feeling that these two gifted musicians have known and worked with each other for years but the fact is they barely knew each other prior to this recording session. But what they did know was that each of them was a highly skilled and experienced musician. Oxman offers, "Frank is just an unbelievable musician. So I was really excited when he suggested this. Even though Jazz might not be his musical field, good musicians are good musicians. And when somebody's as good as Frank, there's got to be something there."
Frank Morelli Studied at the Manhattan and Juilliard Schools of Music and was the first Bassoonist awarded a doctorate by the Juilliard School. He is a member of the Orpheus Camber Orchestra and the woodwind quintet Windscape. He serves on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Yale School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, SUNY Stony Brook and was recently named Distinguished Lecturer in Woodwinds at the Aaron Copland School of Music.
Keith Oxman burnished Tenor sound is born of a love of classic players like Sonny Stitt, and Charles McPherson who he has played with. He has also played with Jazz giants Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Jack McDuff, Phil Woods and Dave Brubeck, He recently reunited with his iconic Denver brand the Jazz Worms to release the quintet's first new album in nearly three decades.
"The Ox-Mo Incident" is a totally relaxing and enjoyable CD experience and I highly recommend it. The successful combining of Jazz with Classical again proves that good music has no boundaries.
I have attached two "YouTube" cuts from "The Ox-Mo Incident" CD that are well- known standards we all know and love. The first is from the brilliant composing team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top". The second is from the equally brilliant composing team of Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, " I Could Have Danced All Night".
"The Surrey With the Fringe on Top"
