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"

   

Ben Webster: Remembering The Jazz Greats: Chapter 12

                                                        Ben Webster and Art Tatum

Ben Webster was one of the most influential American Jazz Tenor Sax players and a member of the most important "Swing Tenors" group that included Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.  His tone was considered tough and raspy, but I always loved the way he played with warmth on ballads. He really made his mark playing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra starting in 1935 and lasting until 1943. After leaving the Ellington band because of a bitter run-in with Duke, Ben played gigs in New York City for several years.  Then in 1953, he recorded "The King of Tenors" with the great Oscar Peterson which solidified his Jazz status as one of the Great American Jazz giants. In the 1950's Ben formed a quintet with Gerry Mulligan and frequently played in the LA area at a club called "Renaissance".

In 1964, he moved to Europe permanently to join other American Jazz musicians and continued to perform there until his death in 1973.

For your listening enjoyment, I have attached three terrific "Youtube" videos highlighting the great talents of Ben Webster especially on ballads.

                            "When I Fall In Love" from the album "Ben Webster For Lovers"

                                  "Blue Moon" From Album "Ben Webster With Strings"

                                             "My One And Only Love" with Art Tatum

Jazz is Alive and Well in Canada By J. Crawford Reid

Carol  McCartney and Kieran Overs

Carol McCartney and Chris Robinson

The Music Man Blog has a large number of followers in Canada, and this blog was written by a Canadian guest writer, J Crawford Reid.  Crawford has previously written a guest blog for us and he is our man in Canada who keeps us up-to-date about Jazz happenings in Canada. The following is his latest article:

This is a blog about a concert at Brantford Downtown Jazz in my town, Brantford, Ontario.  The series has been happening for 16 years! Yes, 16 years.  It's held in the lobby of the local theatre.  Maybe 200 people attend and the atmosphere is much like Vicky's in Indian Wells, Ca. with the audience that is quiet and respectful of the artists.

This week one of my favorite vocalist, Carol McCartney was featured.  I believe Carol is one of the best Jazz vocalists in Canada and always brings along a talented group of musicians to support her. Carol sings songs from the "Great American Songbook" along with some standard Jazz tunes. Tonight Carol sang one of my favorite Lester Young tunes "Just You, Just Me" brilliantly. Pres would have been pleased! Many of the songs she sang featured her excellent scat singing, something she loves to do. Carol also sang a beautiful version of "Yesterdays" and a tremendous arrangement of "Night and Day" arranged by the great Canadian arranger, Rick Wilkins. Carol did a couple of Jazz tunes too, like Bobby Timmons "Dat Dere" and a glorious tribute to Nancy Wilson, "West Coast Blues". The last tune Carol sang was "I'm Old Fashioned" that brought a great evening of Jazz to a wonderful finish.  

Carol has a new CD out "A Night In Tunisia" that really swings!  I'm sure that Dizzy was the driving inspiration for this wonderful CD.  You can hear Carol McCartney sing some of the songs from her new CD by visiting her site: "Carolmccartney.com".  I have also attached a "YouTube" Video of Carol singing, "These Foolish Things" that I know you will enjoy. Carol performs all over the East including the USA, so if she has a gig near you, she is worth the effort to go see.

                                                                   Carol McCartney "These Foolish Things"

Pre-Release CD Review: Frank Wess, "Magic 101"

When I was playing sax at age 15, two of my earliest influences were Lester Young and Ben Webster. As I reflect back, one of the reasons I love these two Tenor sax players and many others from this golden area of Tenor Sax players was because each one of them had the ability to play ballads in a way that would bring the lyric to life. According to the liner notes I read, "Both Young and Webster always said that they always thought about the lyrics to each song as they played". In this CD, Frank Wess brings new life to some gold plated standards, remaining loyal to melody, projecting the emotion of the lyrics and yet producing a new version of songs we have listened to our whole lives.

If you were a fan of the post-World War II Tenor Sax greats, you will get great pleasure listening to this New CD.  Frank has selected a splendid assortment of 7 songs including 4 ballads, and three other classic Jazz tunes.  Frank is supported by a very accomplished rhythm section consisting of Kenny Barron on Piano, Kenny Davis on Bass and Winard Harper on Drums.

By the way, not that you could tell from Frank Wess' fabulous playing, but he is 91 years of age!  My personal thanks to Mr. Wess for giving new life to all the great Tenor memories that have been stored in my memory since I was a teenager.

          Songs on the CD
Say It Isn't So                                       Berlin
The Very Thought of you                    Noble
Pretty Lady                                           Wess
Come Rain Or Come Shine                  Mercer & Arlen
Easy Living                                          Robin & Ranger
Blue Monk                                           Monk
All Too Soon                                       Ellington

This CD will be available in June 2013.