JAM Magazine: June/July 1998 Issue: For the Record

Laura Caviani
AS ONE
Igmod Records
IGM-49803-2

Personnel: Laura Caviani, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait, drums; Rod Fleeman, acoustic guitar; Danny Embrey, electric guitar; Karrin Allyson, vocals

Tracks: Fast Track, If I Should Lose You, As One, Moanin', Bye Ya, The Bottom Line, Well You Needn't, King's Corner, Past Regrets, Mozambique, Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Recorded January 23 and May 12-13, 1997 at Soundtrek Studios, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer.

In the liner notes of this diverse and exciting CD, Laura Caviani muses that "(M)usic is about finding a common ground; between each musician on stage, between the audience and the performers, between the instrument and the person, and even between the ideas and the end result, which is forever evolving." If that was her goal, then she has achieved it here in spades. Indeed she has divined common ground from within the music itself, with each tune snugly cemented by masterful imagination, rhythm, technique and wit.

Kansas City jazz fans may recognize Laura Caviani as Karrin Allyson's piano playing pal and sometimes accompanist from Minnesota. The two have been friends for nine years, after they met at an Ahmad Jamal concert at the Dakota Bar and Grill in St. Paul. They have toured together, Laura appears on three of Karrin's CDs, and Karrin makes a guest appearance on two cuts here.

But this album belongs to Laura Caviani. Four of the eleven tunes are original compositions and all are arranged and stamped with her personal style and innovation.

Although she trained as a classical pianist with a major in composition, jazz was always around Ms. Caviani, and vice versa. Her mother was a music teacher and her father an avid jazz listener. She played the trumpet in a jazz ensemble during college. Jazz piano opportunities didn't appear until later and the every night gigging didn't develop until after a stint with an Air Force jazz band (the "Pace Setters"). Her post-service curriculum also included independent film scoring projects and a rock band.

"My appreciation of jazz developed like peeling layers from an onion," Ms. Caviani explains. "I started with Spyro Gyra, but when I first heard McCoy Tyner, it was all over. The pianists I admire most are those who can play the classics. I was always into Pat Metheny and, through him, Lyle Mays, whose classical training shows through his use and appreciation of harmony. JoAnne Brackeen also has a masterful understanding of rhythm and harmony from her classical background. I heard Oscar Peterson once and he warmed up on Brahms. The musicians that really impress me are those who can transcend style."

In addition to Mays and Brackeen, both of whom she has studied with, Ms. Caviani also admires Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Renee Rosnes and Brazilian, Eliane Elias.

If transcending style is another Caviani goal, she also achieves it admirably on this recording. It is rich in styles and style. In the opening cut, "Fast Track" (written while she was driving from Minnesota to Kansas City), you can hear the wheels roll. Bob Bowman's bass pumps like a piston and Rod Fleeman's guitar kicks up some stones. Bobby Timmons' classic, "Moanin'," is rooted in the blues, but rendered with smoking ensemble and solo work.

If you have heard her live, you know that Laura Caviani has a special affinity for Thelonious Monk. To me, Monk compositions are like Richard Simmons workout videos: they invite an arranger to stretch out and have fun. Ms. Caviani's arrangements and chops on "Bye Ya" and "Well You Needn't" are as frolicsome and imaginative as you will ever hear and are played with a humor that Mr. Monk, I suspect, would heartily endorse.

My favorite piece on the album, however, is "Mozambique," by the late and shamefully underappreciated Emily Remler. Laura's rendition features not just African rhythms, but African lushness as well. Danny Embrey's guitar slices like a machete through the tropical wall, leading to a clearing in which Laura, with her solo, dances. The trek (and track) is fresh and exotic.

This review could not end without recognizing the contribution of the other musicians on the recording. Bob Bowman, Todd Strait, Rod Fleeman and Danny Embrey, while all based in Kansas City, have recorded and played with both local and national musicians, as well as appearing and recording as the group Interstring. They are tight and together throughout, and Karrin Allyson's vocals are, as always, enchanting. She is at her bebopping best on "The Bottom Line" and her soulful vocal on "Past Regrets" is reminiscent of some of the best cuts on her first CD, I Didn't Know About You.

"They are a phenomenal ensemble," Laura told me. "Hands down, some of the most stellar musicians I've ever worked with."

And working with Ms. Caviani's spellbinding compositions and fresh arrangements, this group is at the top of its (considerable) form.

As One, therefore, is a good title for this wonderful CD. Laura Caviani has found the common ground she admires and, with her talented touch, coaxed from it a genuinely rich and colorful garden of sound.

-- Gregg Ottinger

(Laura Caviani will next appear in Kansas City on July 23 at Jardines with Bob Bowman, Tommy Ruskin and Karrin Allyson, and on July 24, at Club 427, with Bob Bowman and Tommy Ruskin. -- Ed.)

Dave Glenn Little Big Band
JOURNEYS
Dean Music CD-1123

Personnel: Dave Glenn, trombone/leader/composer/arranger; Chuck Wilson, alto sax; Jim Clouse, tenor/soprano sax; Rich Perry, tenor sax; Laurie Frink, Tim Ouimette, trumpet; Keith O'Quinn, trombone; George Flynn, bass trombone; Harold Danko, piano; Steve Cardenas, guitar; Dennis Irwin, bass; Mike Hyman, drums

Tracks: Cheesehead, Manteca, Serenade to a Cuckoo, Norma, Footprints, Journeys, Dorothy's Endless Love, Caravan

Recorded April 6-7, 1995 at The Power Station, New York, NY; James Farber, engineer.

From the "Whatever happened to Dave Glenn" department, it is a joy to report that, in addition to teaching jazz studies at Whitman College in Washington state, he has been recording with some wonderful musicians. His just released CD Journeys is a strong testament to that effort. Dave has amassed a fine entourage of New York's best, and they perform his compositions and/or arrangements to near perfection.

For just about all big band fans, the musicians are familiar. They are alumni of the bands of Thad Jones-Mel Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, Maria Schneider, Ed Palermo and many others. Journeys was recorded in only two sessions, with a minimum of takes and almost no punch-ins. The result is a satisfying flow of tunes which thoroughly showcases the talents of each of the twelve musicians in an almost "live" format.

Three of the compositions are Glenn's, and the remaining eight are an interesting collection of standards by the likes of Juan Tizol ("Caravan"), Wayne Shorter ("Footprints") and Dizzy Gillespie ("Manteca"). Glenn solos on all eight (it's his date, after all) and fellow trombonist Keith O'Quinn, tenor saxophonist Rich Perry and guitarist and fellow Missourian Steve Cardenas also solo admirably.

If there is a flaw in this project, it lies in the fact that too many soloists perform on each track. It seems that just as a solo is getting a good start, it's over and another begins. Listeners to big band projects are used to this, but with this collection of strong tunes and truly strong players, it would have been perhaps better to give all some more stretching space on fewer tunes. Only Rich Perry seems consistently at ease and beautifully fresh.

But fans of Dave Glenn, and fans of writing for little big bands, will surely find quite a bit to their liking on this CD. And as always in this great jazz town, it is nice to hear the projects of local folks making good. Hopefully, Journeys will be just the first of many like projects for Dave and his good musician friends.

-- John Leisenring

Genie Grant
BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH
dpz jazz - 3062

Personnel: Genie Grant, vocals; Dave Zoller, piano; George Anderson, Chris Clarke, acoustic bass; Bobby Breaux, drums; Kim Platko, acoustic guitar; Pete Brewer, Randy Lee, reeds; Rod Booth, Jack Evans, trumpet; Dave Butler, Chris Seiter, trombone

Tracks: Talk to Me Baby, Blues in the Night, These Foolish Things, Ask Me Now (How I Wish...), Goody Goody, Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, Come Rain or Come Shine, My Old Flame, Blame It On My Youth, All the Things You Are, I'll Never Be the Same, (Baby) Don'tcha Go Away Mad, I'll Be Around, Still Crazy After All These Years, We'll Be Together Again

Recorded at JAM Productions, Dallas, TX; Mark Holland, engineer.

Genie Grant manages to pack fifteen, count 'em, fifteen time-worn standards into one very worth-the-listen debut CD, Blame It On My Youth. Actually thirteen, since Paul Simon's "Still Crazy..." isn't old enough and "Goody, Goody" is, well, "Goody, Goody."

Grant's voice is reminiscent of the horn-like Helen Merrill, especially on ballads, although a wide-open vibrato needs occasional braking. She's a back phraser, my favorite kind, and unafraid of tackling truly tough intervals (try humming along with Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now"). She's especially convincing on torchers like "My Old Flame" and "Blame It On My Youth," both of which feature nice piano solos by arranger, producer and husband, former Kansas Citian Dave Zoller, whose genius continues to flourish in Cowboy country.

(I'm guessing they met while she was touring with Al Hirt, for whom Zoller once arranged.)

An impressive gang of Dallas big guns comprise her accompaniment in varying combinations -- big band, rhythm with trumpet, piano/bass/reeds, piano only. As with all noteworthy recordings, the rhythm section here is perfection, but so are the horns, each also a prodigious soloist. Reedsman Randy Lee's cadenza-driven tenor on "Talk To Me Baby," alto on "My Old Flame" (you'll love Zoller's alterations here) and flute on "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" are form and fancy at their best.

Back to Ms. Grant. She's a thoughtful custodian of the material -- witness the story-sensitive rubato passages in front and finale on "I'll Be Around" and the near-tears tarriance on "I'll Never Be the Same." And the scalar head of "(Baby) Don'tcha Go Away Mad" isn't easy to vocalize at this speedier-than-usual tempo. But she does so with relative ease.

Genie Grant is a straight ahead singer blessed with a blockbuster arranger for a husband (or vice versa). I'm grateful for their having re-introduced me to this vast inventory of great material, "Goody, Goody" notwithstanding. There are three other Johnny Mercer songs herein I'm crazy about, and three out of four isn't bad.

-- Carol Comer

(To order this CD, contact DPZ Jazz at P.O. Box 59659, Dallas, TX 75229, or call 214-247-7627. -- Ed.)

Gerald Spaits
THREE SIDES
Passit Productions 091958

Personnel: Gerald Spaits, bass; Russ Long, Paul Smith, piano; Danny Embrey, guitar; Jack Lightfoot, trumpet; Charles Perkins, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano & alto saxophones; Ray DeMarchi, Todd Strait, Arnold Young, drums; Adriana LaRosa, cello

Tracks: Seascape, Don't You Go Away Mad, Twilight, Caravan, Song for Ornette, Lulu's Back in Town, Phrazzled, Lost Ballad, Ten-Four Blues, Dark Blue, Stimpy's Lament, Friday the 13th, Shenandoah

Recorded at BRC Audio Productions, Kansas City, MO; Bill Crain, engineer.

If you like musical variety, you will be hard pressed to find a CD that offers more than this one. Comprised of three separate recording sessions, (hence the title), this CD features various musicians performing in almost every conceivable combination. There are, in fact, ten distinctly different combinations of instruments featured on this CD. Add a wide range of compositional styles to the mix, and the result is a recording that covers an extremely broad spectrum, offering a number of musical surprises along the way. One revelation of the CD is the impressive work of Gerald Spaits, the composer. Out of 13 tunes, eight are Spaits originals.

The opening cut is Spaits' "Seascape," which has a fairly brisk straight-eighth feel and a melody that I can only describe as soaring. Paul Smith plays a well-structured piano solo that builds very nicely, and guitarist Danny Embrey delivers an impressive, seamless solo. Todd Strait's crisp drumming provides just the right intensity throughout, and the conviction of Gerald Spaits' solid lines hint at the fact that this bass player is also the composer and leader of the session.

In the CD's liner notes, Spaits comments that the second tune, "Don't You Go Away Mad," is an old, rarely played standard. Why it should be so rare is a mystery to me. The tune lends itself to the infectious, easy swing treatment that it gets here. (Warning: The melody is one of those lines that can get inside your head and stick with you for quite a while!) Gerald plays a relaxed solo and drummer Ray DeMarchi reveals that he knows a thing or two about tasteful brush technique. Russ Long continues the easy swing with a melodic solo that leads us right back to where it all began.

The next tune, "Twilight," is another Spaits original based upon two different melodic motifs. Charles Perkins is heard here on soprano sax, and the inclusion of cello only adds to the somewhat evocative, pensive mood of the piece.

The pianoless quartet is up next on "Caravan," which features Perkins on alto sax and the muted trumpet of Jack Lightfoot, who plays an outstanding solo here with some really nice twists and turns. Drummer Arny Young maintains intensity throughout with some exceptionally nice cymbal work, and, as one might expect, Spaits' playing is rock solid. In particular, the interplay between bass and drums is high energy all the way.

"Song for Ornette" lives up to its title -- the tune clearly evokes memories of some of the classic early compositions of Ornette Coleman. In performing this tune, my guess is that it may also be Gerald's nod to bassist Charlie Haden as an influence. Spaits achieves a big, sustained, ringing tone reminiscent of Haden's. And again, Young demonstrates that he must own one of the finest sets of cymbals in town, as evidenced here by his skillful and intense use of them. Jack Lightfoot again plays an exceptional solo on muted trumpet, and Charles Perkins plays a short, but effective solo on soprano, perhaps his best of the session.

"Lulu's Back in Town" follows, and coming as it does after the preceding tune, I was reminded of the old Monty Python line, "And now for something completely different..." To my ears, there is an inherently good-natured, romping quality to this old tune. Fun solos are performed all around, with elements of Tin Pan Alley clearly present, especially in Russ Long's piano solo and Charles Perkins' clarinet.

Spaits' "Phrazzled" seems perfectly titled, reminding me of some of Chick Corea's earlier, slightly off-center compositions. Danny Embrey once again plays a great solo, as does Spaits, and the improvised counterpoint lines toward the end between Paul Smith and Embrey are exceptional. With Todd Strait also aboard to provide great driving energy, this performance just might get my vote as the favorite of the CD.

"Ten-Four Blues," another Spaits original, is a 10-bar blues, rather than the usual 12-bar form. I must admit that no matter how many times I listened to this tune, I could never quite get used to the fact that what I thought were the last two bars of each chorus were really the first two bars of the next chorus. For me, the unusual form was slightly disorienting. But then, perhaps that is precisely the point of writing a 10-bar blues in the first place. If so, mission accomplished!

There are many other highlights of this recording, but I would be remiss if I failed to mention the piano/bass duo rendition of the traditional song "Shenandoah" that closes the album. This performance serves as a perfect example by Mr. Spaits and Russ Long of the simple beauty and elegance of playing a melody well. All in all, this impressive CD provides additional proof that some of the finest musicians to be found anywhere in the world live, work and record right here in Kansas City.

-- Doug Tatum

RETURN TO JUNE/JULY 1998 MAIN INDEX

------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		Laura Caviani AS ONE Igmod Records IGM-49803-2 Personnel: Laura Caviani, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait, drums; Rod Fleeman, acoustic guitar; Danny Embrey, electric guitar; Karrin Allyson, vocals Tracks: Fast Track, If I Should Lose You, As One, Moanin', Bye Ya, The Bottom Line, Well You Needn't, King's Corner, Past Regrets, Mozambique, Swing Low Sweet Chariot Recorded January 23 and May 12-13, 1997 at Soundtrek Studios, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer. In the liner notes of this diverse and exciting CD, Laura Caviani muses that "(M)usic is about finding a common ground; between each musician on stage, between the audience and the performers, between the instrument and the person, and even between the ideas and the end result, which is forever evolving." If that was her goal, then she has achieved it here in spades. Indeed she has divined common ground from within the music itself, with each tune snugly cemented by masterful imagination, rhythm, technique and wit. Kansas City jazz fans may recognize Laura Caviani as Karrin Allyson's piano playing pal and sometimes accompanist from Minnesota. The two have been friends for nine years, after they met at an Ahmad Jamal concert at the Dakota Bar and Grill in St. Paul. They have toured together, Laura appears on three of Karrin's CDs, and Karrin makes a guest appearance on two cuts here. But this album belongs to Laura Caviani. Four of the eleven tunes are original compositions and all are arranged and stamped with her personal style and innovation. Although she trained as a classical pianist with a major in composition, jazz was always around Ms. Caviani, and vice versa. Her mother was a music teacher and her father an avid jazz listener. She played the trumpet in a jazz ensemble during college. Jazz piano opportunities didn't appear until later and the every night gigging didn't develop until after a stint with an Air Force jazz band (the "Pace Setters"). Her post-service curriculum also included independent film scoring projects and a rock band. "My appreciation of jazz developed like peeling layers from an onion," Ms. Caviani explains. "I started with Spyro Gyra, but when I first heard McCoy Tyner, it was all over. The pianists I admire most are those who can play the classics. I was always into Pat Metheny and, through him, Lyle Mays, whose classical training shows through his use and appreciation of harmony. JoAnne Brackeen also has a masterful understanding of rhythm and harmony from her classical background. I heard Oscar Peterson once and he warmed up on Brahms. The musicians that really impress me are those who can transcend style." In addition to Mays and Brackeen, both of whom she has studied with, Ms. Caviani also admires Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Renee Rosnes and Brazilian, Eliane Elias. If transcending style is another Caviani goal, she also achieves it admirably on this recording. It is rich in styles and style. In the opening cut, "Fast Track" (written while she was driving from Minnesota to Kansas City), you can hear the wheels roll. Bob Bowman's bass pumps like a piston and Rod Fleeman's guitar kicks up some stones. Bobby Timmons' classic, "Moanin'," is rooted in the blues, but rendered with smoking ensemble and solo work. If you have heard her live, you know that Laura Caviani has a special affinity for Thelonious Monk. To me, Monk compositions are like Richard Simmons workout videos: they invite an arranger to stretch out and have fun. Ms. Caviani's arrangements and chops on "Bye Ya" and "Well You Needn't" are as frolicsome and imaginative as you will ever hear and are played with a humor that Mr. Monk, I suspect, would heartily endorse. My favorite piece on the album, however, is "Mozambique," by the late and shamefully underappreciated Emily Remler. Laura's rendition features not just African rhythms, but African lushness as well. Danny Embrey's guitar slices like a machete through the tropical wall, leading to a clearing in which Laura, with her solo, dances. The trek (and track) is fresh and exotic. This review could not end without recognizing the contribution of the other musicians on the recording. Bob Bowman, Todd Strait, Rod Fleeman and Danny Embrey, while all based in Kansas City, have recorded and played with both local and national musicians, as well as appearing and recording as the group Interstring. They are tight and together throughout, and Karrin Allyson's vocals are, as always, enchanting. She is at her bebopping best on "The Bottom Line" and her soulful vocal on "Past Regrets" is reminiscent of some of the best cuts on her first CD, I Didn't Know About You. "They are a phenomenal ensemble," Laura told me. "Hands down, some of the most stellar musicians I've ever worked with." And working with Ms. Caviani's spellbinding compositions and fresh arrangements, this group is at the top of its (considerable) form. As One, therefore, is a good title for this wonderful CD. Laura Caviani has found the common ground she admires and, with her talented touch, coaxed from it a genuinely rich and colorful garden of sound. -- Gregg Ottinger (Laura Caviani will next appear in Kansas City on July 23 at Jardines with Bob Bowman, Tommy Ruskin and Karrin Allyson, and on July 24, at Club 427, with Bob Bowman and Tommy Ruskin. -- Ed.) Dave Glenn Little Big Band JOURNEYS Dean Music CD-1123 Personnel: Dave Glenn, trombone/leader/composer/arranger; Chuck Wilson, alto sax; Jim Clouse, tenor/soprano sax; Rich Perry, tenor sax; Laurie Frink, Tim Ouimette, trumpet; Keith O'Quinn, trombone; George Flynn, bass trombone; Harold Danko, piano; Steve Cardenas, guitar; Dennis Irwin, bass; Mike Hyman, drums Tracks: Cheesehead, Manteca, Serenade to a Cuckoo, Norma, Footprints, Journeys, Dorothy's Endless Love, Caravan Recorded April 6-7, 1995 at The Power Station, New York, NY; James Farber, engineer. From the "Whatever happened to Dave Glenn" department, it is a joy to report that, in addition to teaching jazz studies at Whitman College in Washington state, he has been recording with some wonderful musicians. His just released CD Journeys is a strong testament to that effort. Dave has amassed a fine entourage of New York's best, and they perform his compositions and/or arrangements to near perfection. For just about all big band fans, the musicians are familiar. They are alumni of the bands of Thad Jones-Mel Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, Maria Schneider, Ed Palermo and many others. Journeys was recorded in only two sessions, with a minimum of takes and almost no punch-ins. The result is a satisfying flow of tunes which thoroughly showcases the talents of each of the twelve musicians in an almost "live" format. Three of the compositions are Glenn's, and the remaining eight are an interesting collection of standards by the likes of Juan Tizol ("Caravan"), Wayne Shorter ("Footprints") and Dizzy Gillespie ("Manteca"). Glenn solos on all eight (it's his date, after all) and fellow trombonist Keith O'Quinn, tenor saxophonist Rich Perry and guitarist and fellow Missourian Steve Cardenas also solo admirably. If there is a flaw in this project, it lies in the fact that too many soloists perform on each track. It seems that just as a solo is getting a good start, it's over and another begins. Listeners to big band projects are used to this, but with this collection of strong tunes and truly strong players, it would have been perhaps better to give all some more stretching space on fewer tunes. Only Rich Perry seems consistently at ease and beautifully fresh. But fans of Dave Glenn, and fans of writing for little big bands, will surely find quite a bit to their liking on this CD. And as always in this great jazz town, it is nice to hear the projects of local folks making good. Hopefully, Journeys will be just the first of many like projects for Dave and his good musician friends. -- John Leisenring Genie Grant BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH dpz jazz - 3062 Personnel: Genie Grant, vocals; Dave Zoller, piano; George Anderson, Chris Clarke, acoustic bass; Bobby Breaux, drums; Kim Platko, acoustic guitar; Pete Brewer, Randy Lee, reeds; Rod Booth, Jack Evans, trumpet; Dave Butler, Chris Seiter, trombone Tracks: Talk to Me Baby, Blues in the Night, These Foolish Things, Ask Me Now (How I Wish...), Goody Goody, Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, Come Rain or Come Shine, My Old Flame, Blame It On My Youth, All the Things You Are, I'll Never Be the Same, (Baby) Don'tcha Go Away Mad, I'll Be Around, Still Crazy After All These Years, We'll Be Together Again Recorded at JAM Productions, Dallas, TX; Mark Holland, engineer. Genie Grant manages to pack fifteen, count 'em, fifteen time-worn standards into one very worth-the-listen debut CD, Blame It On My Youth. Actually thirteen, since Paul Simon's "Still Crazy..." isn't old enough and "Goody, Goody" is, well, "Goody, Goody." Grant's voice is reminiscent of the horn-like Helen Merrill, especially on ballads, although a wide-open vibrato needs occasional braking. She's a back phraser, my favorite kind, and unafraid of tackling truly tough intervals (try humming along with Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now"). She's especially convincing on torchers like "My Old Flame" and "Blame It On My Youth," both of which feature nice piano solos by arranger, producer and husband, former Kansas Citian Dave Zoller, whose genius continues to flourish in Cowboy country. (I'm guessing they met while she was touring with Al Hirt, for whom Zoller once arranged.) An impressive gang of Dallas big guns comprise her accompaniment in varying combinations -- big band, rhythm with trumpet, piano/bass/reeds, piano only. As with all noteworthy recordings, the rhythm section here is perfection, but so are the horns, each also a prodigious soloist. Reedsman Randy Lee's cadenza-driven tenor on "Talk To Me Baby," alto on "My Old Flame" (you'll love Zoller's alterations here) and flute on "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" are form and fancy at their best. Back to Ms. Grant. She's a thoughtful custodian of the material -- witness the story-sensitive rubato passages in front and finale on "I'll Be Around" and the near-tears tarriance on "I'll Never Be the Same." And the scalar head of "(Baby) Don'tcha Go Away Mad" isn't easy to vocalize at this speedier-than-usual tempo. But she does so with relative ease. Genie Grant is a straight ahead singer blessed with a blockbuster arranger for a husband (or vice versa). I'm grateful for their having re-introduced me to this vast inventory of great material, "Goody, Goody" notwithstanding. There are three other Johnny Mercer songs herein I'm crazy about, and three out of four isn't bad. -- Carol Comer (To order this CD, contact DPZ Jazz at P.O. Box 59659, Dallas, TX 75229, or call 214-247-7627. -- Ed.) Gerald Spaits THREE SIDES Passit Productions 091958 Personnel: Gerald Spaits, bass; Russ Long, Paul Smith, piano; Danny Embrey, guitar; Jack Lightfoot, trumpet; Charles Perkins, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano & alto saxophones; Ray DeMarchi, Todd Strait, Arnold Young, drums; Adriana LaRosa, cello Tracks: Seascape, Don't You Go Away Mad, Twilight, Caravan, Song for Ornette, Lulu's Back in Town, Phrazzled, Lost Ballad, Ten-Four Blues, Dark Blue, Stimpy's Lament, Friday the 13th, Shenandoah Recorded at BRC Audio Productions, Kansas City, MO; Bill Crain, engineer. If you like musical variety, you will be hard pressed to find a CD that offers more than this one. Comprised of three separate recording sessions, (hence the title), this CD features various musicians performing in almost every conceivable combination. There are, in fact, ten distinctly different combinations of instruments featured on this CD. Add a wide range of compositional styles to the mix, and the result is a recording that covers an extremely broad spectrum, offering a number of musical surprises along the way. One revelation of the CD is the impressive work of Gerald Spaits, the composer. Out of 13 tunes, eight are Spaits originals. The opening cut is Spaits' "Seascape," which has a fairly brisk straight-eighth feel and a melody that I can only describe as soaring. Paul Smith plays a well-structured piano solo that builds very nicely, and guitarist Danny Embrey delivers an impressive, seamless solo. Todd Strait's crisp drumming provides just the right intensity throughout, and the conviction of Gerald Spaits' solid lines hint at the fact that this bass player is also the composer and leader of the session. In the CD's liner notes, Spaits comments that the second tune, "Don't You Go Away Mad," is an old, rarely played standard. Why it should be so rare is a mystery to me. The tune lends itself to the infectious, easy swing treatment that it gets here. (Warning: The melody is one of those lines that can get inside your head and stick with you for quite a while!) Gerald plays a relaxed solo and drummer Ray DeMarchi reveals that he knows a thing or two about tasteful brush technique. Russ Long continues the easy swing with a melodic solo that leads us right back to where it all began. The next tune, "Twilight," is another Spaits original based upon two different melodic motifs. Charles Perkins is heard here on soprano sax, and the inclusion of cello only adds to the somewhat evocative, pensive mood of the piece. The pianoless quartet is up next on "Caravan," which features Perkins on alto sax and the muted trumpet of Jack Lightfoot, who plays an outstanding solo here with some really nice twists and turns. Drummer Arny Young maintains intensity throughout with some exceptionally nice cymbal work, and, as one might expect, Spaits' playing is rock solid. In particular, the interplay between bass and drums is high energy all the way. "Song for Ornette" lives up to its title -- the tune clearly evokes memories of some of the classic early compositions of Ornette Coleman. In performing this tune, my guess is that it may also be Gerald's nod to bassist Charlie Haden as an influence. Spaits achieves a big, sustained, ringing tone reminiscent of Haden's. And again, Young demonstrates that he must own one of the finest sets of cymbals in town, as evidenced here by his skillful and intense use of them. Jack Lightfoot again plays an exceptional solo on muted trumpet, and Charles Perkins plays a short, but effective solo on soprano, perhaps his best of the session. "Lulu's Back in Town" follows, and coming as it does after the preceding tune, I was reminded of the old Monty Python line, "And now for something completely different..." To my ears, there is an inherently good-natured, romping quality to this old tune. Fun solos are performed all around, with elements of Tin Pan Alley clearly present, especially in Russ Long's piano solo and Charles Perkins' clarinet. Spaits' "Phrazzled" seems perfectly titled, reminding me of some of Chick Corea's earlier, slightly off-center compositions. Danny Embrey once again plays a great solo, as does Spaits, and the improvised counterpoint lines toward the end between Paul Smith and Embrey are exceptional. With Todd Strait also aboard to provide great driving energy, this performance just might get my vote as the favorite of the CD. "Ten-Four Blues," another Spaits original, is a 10-bar blues, rather than the usual 12-bar form. I must admit that no matter how many times I listened to this tune, I could never quite get used to the fact that what I thought were the last two bars of each chorus were really the first two bars of the next chorus. For me, the unusual form was slightly disorienting. But then, perhaps that is precisely the point of writing a 10-bar blues in the first place. If so, mission accomplished! There are many other highlights of this recording, but I would be remiss if I failed to mention the piano/bass duo rendition of the traditional song "Shenandoah" that closes the album. This performance serves as a perfect example by Mr. Spaits and Russ Long of the simple beauty and elegance of playing a melody well. All in all, this impressive CD provides additional proof that some of the finest musicians to be found anywhere in the world live, work and record right here in Kansas City. -- Doug Tatum RETURN TO JUNE/JULY 1998 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.