CD Review: A Message From The Flying Horse Big Band

I have followed the The Flying Horse Big Band and their super talented musical director Jeff Rupert for a long time and they never disappoint.  They have just released their 8th CD, "A Message From The Flying Horse Big Band" and it's a four-star winning "straight ahead" Jazz album.  The focus of this new CD is on the style of music performed by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenger.`  All the songs on this CD were composed by Jazz Messenger members.  The Jazz Messengers group was formed in 1947 by Drummer Art Blakey and really shot into high public attention when Trumpeter Horace Silver joined the group in the mid-fifties.  Blakey and Silver were at the forefront of developing Bebop music while incorporating elements of rhythm and blues and soul music.  The Jazz Messenger members who composed songs on this CD reads like a list of Jazz giants out of a Jazz history book: Horace Silver, Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton and Hank Mobley.

Sadly, Jazz lovers don't get to hear this kind of big band music and arrangements much these days.  However, even someone new to Jazz would quickly recognize that the sound of this music and  arrangements are special.  I want to thank Jeff Rupert and the "The Flying Horse Big Band" for producing this amazing new CD.  You are helping the new generation to discover how good this kind of music is!

I also have to mention the high quality of professional players that perform this wonderful music on this CD.  The full group is listed below and each one of the players are at the top of their musical game and contribute to the superb music on this CD. 

PLAYLIST:

1. Free For All

2. Hipsippy Blues

3. Room 608

4. This Is For Albert

5. Mosaic

6. Peace

7. Gregory Is Here

8. Lester Left Town

9. Whisper Not

10. On the Ginza

PLAYERS:

Saxophones:

    Paul Van Wormer- Lead Alto (Solo Tracks 4,7,10)

    Micah Silverstein- 2nnd Alto (Solo Track 9)

    Edmund "Quint"- Johnson Lead Tenor (Solo tracks 1,3,5,6,8,9)

    Steven Grant- 2nd Tenor (Solo track 2)

    Noan Mosca- Baritone

Rhythm Section:

    Jack Hoag- Piano and Fender Rhodes

    Noah Charles- Guitar (Solo tracks 3,7,8)

    Michael Santos- Bass

    James Fortune-  Drum Set (tracks 1,2,5,8,9)

    Jamesly Jean-Mary- Drum set ( tracks 3,4,6,7,10) and Congas (track 2)

Trumpets & Flugelhorns:

    Josh Mercado- (Solo tracks 1,2,3,5,6,10)

    Adam Zapf-

    Robert Schmidt

    Phebe Rich

    Elijah Simmons

Trombones:

    Dan Parish (Solo tracks 4,6,7)

    Ralph Rodriguez

    Gabe Funk

    Ben Fuller- Bass Trombone

 

I have attached two "YouTube" videos from "A Message From The Flying Horse Big Band".  The first song is a Wayne Shorter composition that was arranged by former Jazz Messenger, Michael Mossman.  It's swinging and hot!  The second song was composed by Hank Mobley with a great arrangement by Harry Allen.  It doesn't matter if you are a Jazz Messenger fan or new to this kind of music, if you love Jazz you will love these songs and this CD!

                                                                   " Free For All"

                                                                        "Hipsippy Blues"

CD Review: Jeff Rupert & George Garzone, "The Ripple"

I have a real treat for anyone who loves to listen to the great Tenor Sax players of years gone by.  I just listened to a new CD, "The Ripple" featuring Jeff Rupert and George Garzone that was just released in January of this year and it's a listening celebration of the sounds of great Tenor Sax playing.  The title of this CD refers to the far-reaching effects of the great Lester Young and his playing influence on many of the great players who followed him.  By the late 1930's, Young emerged as the most profound improviser since Louis Armstrong.  He influenced not only Saxophonists, but Pianists, Trombone players and others who learned to improvise through Young.  Loved by all and nicknamed "Prez" by Billie Holiday, Lester Young brought individual style, song and concept to the American Jazz scene that continues to influence Jazz players up to this day.

Jeff Rupert and George Garzone are two of the best Tenor Sax players performing today, and they wanted to acknowledge Lester Young's influence on the style and tone of some of the most famous Tenor Sax players.  There are no songs written or recorded by Young on this CD.  Instead,  it highlight songs that were recorded or composed by some of the musicians influenced by Young, including Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Eddie Harris, Zoot Sims, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson and others.  I have featured both Jeff Rupert and George Garzone in my Musician Blog before because they have and still are contributing to the American Jazz scene by performing and educating.  Most recently, I reviewed a wonderful new big band CD by The Flying Horse Big Band that was founded and directed by Jeff Rupert.  Jeff is Trustee Endowed Chair, and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida.  George Garzone is a member of the Fringe, a Jazz trio founded in 1972.  He is also a member of the Grammy-winning Joe Lovano Nonet.  Garzone is a sought-after Jazz educator currently teaching at Berklee College of Music.  He pioneered the triadic chromatic approach.  His students include Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, Teadross Avery, Luciana Souza, Mark Turner, Donny McCaslin, Doug Yates and Danilo Perez.

Joining Jeff and George on this CD are some long-standing outstanding musicians and friends, Richard Drexler on Piano, Marty Morell on Drums and Jeremy Allen on Bass.  This CD produces some great sounds and revisits great musical history in a very comfortable way.  It's a winner for all Jazz lovers.

I have attached two "YouTube" videos and picking just two was no easy task because I loved every track.  The first one is "Without A Song" that is a tribute to Joe Henderson's famous version.  The second video is Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" that I think illustrates the duo's reverence for Young's impact.

I want to finish with a quote that I loved from Jeff Rupert, "Working on this music gave me the sense of having two painters collaborating on one canvas.  I think of Monet, Picasso, or Dali, though I'm not sure who George evokes, perhaps all of the above plus Pollock."

Playlist:
1. "Bahia"
2. "Go-Go"
3. "Stardust"
4. "Without A Song"
5. "The Shadow Of Your Smile"
6. "Detour Ahead"
7. "The Red Door"
8. "Red Hop"
9. "Hoboken"
10. "Beauty Becomes You"
11. "Lester Left Town"
12. "Alone Together"

   

CD Review: The Flying Horse Big Band, "Good News!"

Recently I have discovered several new big band CDs that are outstanding.  It's always a pleasure to find new big band CDs because this type of CD is so expensive to record,  not to mention the difficulty of getting all the members of the band together in the same place at the same time.  But there is no stopping big bands and the musicians who love to play a part in producing wonderful music!  Today I have the pleasure of reviewing the "The Flying Horse Big Band" directed by Jeff Rupert.  This CD is a collaboration with the UCF Studio Orchestra made up students from
UCF'S Jazz Studies program.   These students are first-class musicians and playing together this band really cooks!

There is a beautiful version of John Lennon's "Imagine" by Jeff "T-Bone Gerard and a superb recording of "Round Midnight"tby the Jazz Professors who teach in the UCF Jazz Studies Program including the band director, Jeff Rupert producing lush and warm tones from Tenor Sax.  It's an outstanding recording!

The playlist chosen for this CD is from the A-list of Jazz composers: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Bob Mintzer.

Playlist:

Players:

I have attached two "YouTubes" that highlight how good this band and its talented musicians are.  The first one is the first cut on the CD "  a musical gem from Miles Davis, "The Serpent's Tooth".  The second is perhaps the most famous composition from Monk, "Round Midnight".  You must add this CD to your big band collection.
                                                                       "The Serpent's Tooth"

                       
                                                                 "Round Midnight"

CD Review: Jeff Rupert & Richard Drexler, "Imagination"

Jeff Rupert and Richard Drexler have just released a new CD that highlights their enormous musical talents.  Jeff Rupert has a long list of credits that include recordings and tours with Diane Schuur, Mel Torme', Ernestine Anderson, and Benny Carter's Grammy winning "Harlem Renaissance".  He toured with Maynard Ferguson from 1997 through 2002.  Here is a quote from Maynard "From the moment I first heard Jeff Rupert with my band I considered him one of the great Jazz players of today".  In addition to Composing, Arranging and playing Tenor Sax, Jeff is a Pegasus Distinguished Professor, Trustee Endowed Chair and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida and founder of Flying Horse Records.

But on Jeff's new CD, there is no big band, only the talented Richard Drexler on Piano, and as a result, listeners can get a close look at Jeff's improvising mastery and also the sensational tone he produces.  Pianist, Bassist, Vocalist and Composer/Arranger Richard Drexler has performed on over 200 recordings and played Piano in the Woody Herman Orchestra for over 20 years.  He has performed with some of the greats of Jazz, George Benson, Diahann Carroll, Vic Damone, Donovan, Connie Francis, Amy Grant, Al Jareau and tons more other Jazz greats.  Richard is also a faculty member at the University of Central Florida's acclaimed Jazz Studies program.

There are 8 wonderful songs on this CD, one composed by Jeff Rupert and the others from some of the best American composers like Vincent Youmans, Steve Wonder, Claude Thornhill, Dave Brubeck, and Jimmy Van Heusen/ Johnny Burke.  These songs being performed by a great Tenor player and a just-as-great Piano player is a joy to any music lover.  This CD was released on January 2, 2017, and I highly recommend it.

Playlist:

1. "Without a Song"
2.  "I Can't Help It"
3." Snowfall"
4. "Strange Meadowlark"
5. "Imagination"
6. "A Felicidade"
7. "My Mistress' Eyes"
8. "Soul Eyes"  

I have attached a "YouTube" video of Jeff and Richard playing the stunningly beautiful standard, "Snowfall"  composed by Claude Thornhill.

I found another "YouTube" I could not resist attaching for you.  It's Jeff Rupert playing an up-tempo version of the Cole Porter classic "Love For Sale" with the Dirty Martini band.

CD Review: "Monday Morning" By Herb Silverstein

                                                           

Herb Silverstein is a renowned ear surgeon, inventor, author and Philanthropist. These are impressive talents to be on anyone's resume but what impressed me and caused me to post this blog was Herb's talented ability to write fresh and wonderful music.  Herb has written 10 original songs for his latest CD, "Monday Morning", and these songs have such strong structure and melody that I had to share this information with my readers. "Monday Morning" according to Herb is "a melange of leftover weekends, of fresh beginnings, of creating jump starts to the perpetual motion of life". This is a Jazz album that is new, easy to listen to, memorable and will make you want to play this CD again and again.

Herb Silverstein, in addition to having a wonderful ability to write great Jazz music also plays top-notch piano. He is supported on the CD by four wonderful and experienced players. I am sure any one of them would an outstanding performer on their own CDs. Jeff Rupert was on Tenor Saxophone and provided a wonderful classic Tenor sound and imagination. His credits include dates with Diane Schuur, Mel Torme, Benny Carter and Maynard Ferguson. Larue Nickelson provided excellent work on Guitar. Richard Drexler was on Bass and Marty Morell was on Drums providing a strong foundation for the group and the songs on this CD. This CD was released on January 14, 2014 and should be added to any Jazz buff's collection.