Pianist, Composer, Arranger and Accordionist Ben Rosenblum has just released his debut CD of the Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project, "Kites and Strings". The CD playlist covers a special group of composers and music from Leonard Bernstein to Neil Young to Ben Rosenblum originals. It also includes a great group of relatively new and brilliant Jazz musicians including Trumpeter Wayne Tucker, Guitarist Rafael Rosa, Reed man Jasper Dutz, Bassist Marty Jaffe and Drummer Ben Zweig. One of the main reasons this CD caught my musical attention was the diverse influences that Rosenblum has joined together in the playlist. Rosenblum's creative fingerprints can be felt on every aspect of this CD. The music is new, fresh, beautiful and yet listener friendly.
Rosenblum has established a national profile for himself as a bandleader performing at over 100 gigs annually. He has experimented with all forms of music and it's easy to pick up the New York Jazz feel embedded in "Kites and Strings". Rosenblum was brought up in New York and earned a BA from Columbia University while also studying piano at Juilliard in a joint degree program. Rosenblum shared this about his educational experiences "I needed to hear about getting my left hand together and being rhythmically solid, how to lead a piano trio, the importance of listening to certain recordings. I'm surrounded with great young musicians who are never shy about telling me if they hear something different". It's one thing for a musician to experiment with a wide spectrum of musical compositions and style but to be able to join these compositions and styles into one playlist is a rare and treasured event.
This CD is loaded with beautiful music. Trying to pick two tracks for my readers to listen to was no easy task. The first tune I have selected is a Rosenblum original titled "Cedar Place". The composer has this to say about it "a hat tip to the inestimable pianist/composer Cedar Walton. The propulsive bass line and one-chord vamp section bring to mind the deceptively simple elegance and forceful swing of Walton's standard Bolivia." The Second tune I have attached is wonderful Neil Young composition "Philadelphia" played as a Jazz Ballad. Music doesn't any more beautiful than this!
Playlist:
1. Cedar Place
2. Kites and Strings
3. Halfway to Wonderland
4. Motif from Brahms (Op. 98)
5. Fight or Flight
6. Somewhere
7. Philadelphia
8. Bright Above Us
9. Laughing on the Inside
10. Izpoved
Players:
Ben Rosenblum- Piano (except 4,6) Accordion
Wayne Tucker-Trumpet
Jasper Dutz- Tenor Sax, Bass Clarinet
Rafael Rosa- Guitar
Marty Jaffe- Bass
Ben Zweig- Drums, Percussion (5) Conductor (10)
Jake Chapman- Vibraphone (2,8)
Sam Chess- Trombone (7,8)
Jeremy Corren- Piano (4,6)
