JAM: June/July 2000 Issue: For the Record

Steve Cardenas
SHEBANG
Fresh Sound Records
FSNT 079CD

Personnel: Steve Cardenas, guitar; Larry Grenadier, bass; Kenny Wollesen, drums

Tracks: Across the Way; Lucky Number; Del Cenote; Shebang; Safer Than Heaven; Tai Chi Chai Tea; Mr. Mule; Sacre Coeur; Make It So; Para Ti

Recorded September 1-2, 1999 at Big House Recording, New York, NY; Joe Ferla, engineer.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as we paid our cover charges. (I was five years shy of entering the club legally.) I had traveled with a fellow high schooler all the way to Lawrence to hear Ida McBeth's band.

But, it was Ida's guitarist, Steve Cardenas, who would make a lasting impression. (My friend and I drank deliciously illicit draws and took in the music.)

During a break I timidly approached Cardenas and asked, "How is it that you're not in New York?" He demurred, said something about how there was a lot more work in Kansas City, and that he didn't want to deal with the hassles of big city life.

Fortunately for New York -- and unfortunately for Kansas City -- Steve eventually made his way to the Big Apple (by way of the West Coast) and this recording. With bassist Larry Grenadier (who can also be heard on Pat Metheny's 99-00 trio date) and drummer Kenny Wollesen, Steve weaves his way through ten original tunes. His range is impressive, with flavors of Metheny, Monk, Keith Jarrett, and pre-Miles John Scofield, all mixed in a pan that is distinctively Cardenas. The album is neither a strictly "contemporary jazz" project nor a "straightahead" effort.

The opening track, "Across the Way," runs in an easy, impressionistic vein. Next up is the deliberate, syncopated "Lucky Number," giving impressions of Monk and Scofield.
"Del Cenote" is a ballad, with open harmonies and layers of acoustic guitar familiar to fans of Pat Metheny. Then, the metronome gets moved up for the title track, which skillfully builds tensions before releasing them against a semi-static background that evolves as the tune progresses.

"Safer Than Heaven" is a moody piece shifting through lilting harmonies against a brisk rhythmic backdrop. "Tai Chi Chai Tea" shifts from a methodical head to a powerfully emotive single-note solo.

"Mr. Mule" is a funky, distortion-laden long-form blues, "Sacre Coeur" gets back to the acoustic ballad mode, "Make It So," is gentle yet brisk, and closing the set is "Para Ti," another contemporary acoustic ballad.

The interplay here is strong, with the trio functioning essentially as one complex instrument. Shebang shows remarkable maturity of play, Cardenas makes the impossible seem effortless, and the album is free of flash and pretense.

There are no "licks" played, only genuine, soulful music.

-- Rod McBride

For information about ordering this CD, contact Fresh Sound/New Talent, Camps y Fabres 3-11, Barcelona, Spain 08006; fax: 34 93 415-7391, phone 34 93 415-8132. -- Ed.

Luqman Hamza
WHEN A SMILE OVERTAKES A FROWN
Catalyst Productions
CP052000

Personnel: Luqman Hamza, vocals, piano (1, 5, 8, 11); Willie Akins, tenor saxophone; Will Matthews, guitar; Simon Rowe, piano (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10); Willem von Hombracht, bass; Montez Coleman, drums

Tracks: Can't See For Looking; Expressing What She Means To Me; Golden Earrings; Estate; When a Smile Overtakes a Frown; Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams; When You Surrender; That Awkward Age; Do I Hear a Waltz?; The Summer Knows; K.C. Cutie

Recorded October 30-31, 1999 at Echo Park Studios, Bloomington, IN; Mark Hood, engineer.

Luqman Hamza's new CD showcases his dramatic gift for storytelling and a voice that resonates with reassuring warmth.

The singer-pianist sets the mood with "Can't See for Looking," featuring the up-beat, down-home, finger snapping vocals his listeners have come to expect. Next is the ballad, "Expressing What She Means to Me" in which Hamza's lilting tenor caresses and builds each sustained note while adding just the right amount of subtle vibrato. Willie Akins' lyrical tenor sax on this track is reminiscent of the ballad work of Stan Getz, but with a bit more activity.

The playful, medium tempo "Golden Earrings" contains the following lines: "There's a story/the gypsies know is true/that if your love wears golden earrings/she belongs to you." I can imagine no other singing these lines. They appear made for Hamza.

In the ballad "When You Surrender," Hamza's consummate knowledge of the story behind the words informs his measured phrasing. One feels as if Hamza is pulling every note straight from his gut. Each is poignant and brimming with pathos.

As a singer/songwriter Hamza follows in the tradition of the Gershwins and Cole Porter. His lyrics always tell a sentiment-enriched story. In "K.C. Cutie," he sings of a concert where he met the inspiration for the song... under "the music/and the syncopated beat/Her sparkling eyes/seemed to say let's meet."

In the album's title cut, the lyrics mimic a passage from Porter's "It's Delovely." Instead of "It's delightful. It's delirious. It's the limit. It's deluxe," we have "...It's refreshing, exciting, so revitalizing... when a smile overtakes a frown."

Luqman Hamza's spellbinding vocals are backed by a solid, supportive band whose members, when soloing, seldom stray from the tune's melody. One can always hear the words behind each note.

But it is Hamza's meticulous vocal work on the ballad "The Summer Knows" that best represents the music on this album. The singer's voice extends as gracefully as the flight of a long ball stretching past the outfield and into the stands, a solid hit every time.

-- Kevin Rabas

This CD is available at Music Exchange on Broadway, and Streetside Records locations on Broadway and on Metcalf. -- Ed.

KC Brass & Electric
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
Blue Mule Records
BM 99002

Personnel: David Duffield, cornet, flugelhorn; Neil Nolan, tenor sax, harmonica; Fred Fendorf, vocals, guitar; Eugene Smiley, Jr., vocals, bass; Mike Croft, drums; special guest Wayne L. Jackson, trumpet, trombone

Tracks: Tell Me What You Want; I'm From Kansas City; In My Next Life; Farmer John; Muu Muu's Blues; Trouble On the River; El Gato Pisca; Black Diamond; Death In the Family; Lip Magic; Sally Was a Good Old Girl; What Can I Do; Hey Baby

Recorded April 23-May 9, 1999 at Pragmatic Studio, Kansas City, MO; Bentley Ousley, engineer.

Tell Me What You Want, the latest from KC Brass & Electric, is not necessarily a jazz CD, but rather a mix of the jazzy-bluesy sounds we've come to expect from this popular local band. Wayne L. Jackson of the Memphis Horns is both executive producer, as well as guest trumpeter/trombonist on several cuts.

Tell Me What You Want begins in fine fashion with the swing-influenced title track. Listen for Fred Fendorf's Roomful of Blues-inspired vocals.

"I'm From Kansas City" is KCB&E's nod to our town, from the Grand Emporium and the Plaza, to KC's crazy little women.

"In My Next Life" features some thought-provoking lyrics, "Farmer John" swings in a danceable kind of way, and: you wanna talk blues? "Muu Muu's Blues" pays homage -- with tongue firmly in cheek -- to the many blues classics that tend to be mostly lists of all the things that can go wrong. ("I got those old broke sunglass blues... Somebody sat on my shades last night..." Well, you get the idea.)

"Trouble On the River" shines with the vocals of Eugene Smiley, Jr., "El Gato Pisca" has a Tower of Power/Memphis Horns feel (see "executive producer" above), "Black Diamond" again swings the dance floor, and "Death in the Family" pays tribute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughn.

"Lip Magic" and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" are two more in the just-for-fun zone, the bittersweet blues-ballad "What Can I Do" slows things down a notch, and the CD ends with the standard "Hey, Baby." Plan on singing along with this one.

Tell Me What You Want, along with the band's 1997 release Dangerous Pleasure, can be purchased at Music Exchange, Barnes & Noble, the Listening Room (Barry Road in NKC), and the Best of Kansas City (Crown Center). Pick up both, get charged and enjoy.

-- Vanessa Barnard

Louis Neal Big Band
BIGGER & BETTER
BRC Audio Productions

Personnel: Nathan Robinson, Logan Richardson, alto saxophones; Gerald Dunn, Calvin Whitmore, Chris Collier, tenor saxophones; Horace Washington, baritone saxophone; Myron Brimm, Al Pearson, Godfrey Powell, Barry Russell, trumpets; Russell Davis, Cordell Edwards, Reginald May, Louis Neal, Tim Perryman, trombones; Charles Williams, Harold O’Neal, piano; Curtis Oberle, guitar; Seth Lee, bass; Clarence Smith, drums; Raynola Ortega-Clay, vocals; with special guests Ahmad Alaadeen, tenor saxophone; Sonny Kenner, guitar; Claude "Fiddler" Williams, violin; Luqman Hamza, vocals; Frank Smith, piano

Tracks: Meet Ellen; Robin's Nest; My One and Only Love; For the Love of You; Groovin' High; My, My, My; The Boy From Ipanema; It's All Relative; Love Won't Let Me Wait; In the Mix; Moten Swing.

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

Big bands are dead, you say? Then you haven't heard the one led by Kansas City's Louis Neal.

Neal and company perform frequently around KC. And the reason for the band's ongoing popularity is captured well on their new recording, Bigger & Better. The leader has arranged all the tracks here except for "Moten Swing," and, as always, has surrounded himself with many of KC's finest jazz musicians.

"Meet Ellen," written by Neal, gets things off to a jumpin' start. The chart is played tightly and shines with solos from Tim Perryman on trombone and Gerald Dunn on tenor.

"Robin's Nest" slows things down a notch while showcasing the soulful voice of Luqman Hamza and the tenor talents of Ahmad Alaadeen. It's a winning combination.

Next is the gorgeous ballad "My One and Only Love" with Al Pearson out front on trumpet. A new spin on the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" follows. (Smooth jazz meets big band!)

Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High" features a grand violin solo by jazz legend Claude "Fiddler" Williams, and "My, My, My" spotlights Charles Williams on piano and Nathan Robinson on soprano sax.

Vocalist Raynola Ortega-Clay brings a woman's point of view to Jobim's "Ipanema" as she admires the "boy" on that famous beach. (What a great voice she has!) "It's All Relative," another original by Neal, swings hard with the help of veteran guitarist Sonny Kenner, who brings just the right mix of blues and jazz.

"Love Won't Let Me Wait" will make you hurry onto the late night dance floor with your current squeeze. "In the Mix" (also from the pen of Neal) enables everyone to groove flawlessly (listen for another strong solo by Al Pearson). And the classic "Moten Swing" -- with a tasty piano intro from the late Frank Smith -- adds icing to the cake.

So, no, big bands aren't dead just yet. And the Louis Neal Big Band is doing its part to keep them alive in KC.

-- Vanessa Barnard

Jim Widner Big Band
"LIVE"
THE JIM WIDNER BIG BAND RIDES AGAIN
Chase Music Group
CMD8058

Personnel: Kim Richmond, alto sax, flute; Dave Pietro, alto sax, flute; Rick DiMuzio, tenor sax, flute; Bill Perkins, tenor sax, flute; Jon Stone, bari sax, bass clarinet; Paul McKee, Brett Stamps, Ron Anson, Douglas Purviance, trombones; John Harner, Mike Vax, Clay Jenkins, Dave Scott, Rick Stitzel, Tijuana Julian, trumpets; Reggie Thomas, piano; Gary Hobbs, drums; Rick Stitzel, auxiliary percussion; Brian Harman, guitar; Jim Widner, bass; Mardra Thomas, vocals

Tracks: Little Gus; Alright, Okay, You Win; The Meaning of the Blues; Big Sur; In the Wee Small Hours Of the Morning; Trump Card Suite I; Trump Card Suite II; Mood Indigo; Out of Nowhere; Rhythm-A-Ning

Recorded live June 13-18, 1999 at Drury University, Springfield, MO; Nick Sibley, engineer.

If anyone needs a renewal of faith when it comes to hard swing, elite soloing, uncommonly good writing, and razor sharp ensemble, the latest Jim Widner Big Band album is the answer to your prayers.

Culled from a live outing at the Drury Jazz Camp in Springfield last year, the event was smartly captured on CD by Widner, who is clearly unafraid of allowing his ensemble to fly without a net.

The opening track, "Little Gus," was written by the outstanding trombonist, Paul McKee. Widner also serves up generous helpings of excellent writing and playing by saxophonist Kim Richmond, especially on "Big Sur," a performance that must have had the audience sitting up straight right from the start.

Next is a somber -- and beautiful -- recitation of the standard "In the Wee Small Hours Of the Morning," followed by the album's most intense arrangements (by Richmond), "Trump Card Suite I" and "...II." Get ready for some severely burning trumpet work from Mike Vax (Part I), and Clay Jenkins and Dave Scott (Part II).

A snappy version of "Alright, Okay, You Win" has Mardra Thomas fronting the band with a sassy vocal that would make Nancy Wilson proud. Then there's a gorgeous rendering of "The Meaning Of the Blues," which conjures images of Miles' Sketches of Spain thanks to Clay Jenkins' evocative tone and phrasing.

The final trio of tunes are standards. "Mood Indigo" has Reggie Thomas providing superb arranging for the band as well as a fresh take on piano. "Out of Nowhere," a blistering Bill Holman arrangement, picks things up and features some precision ensemble work along with great tenor fire from Bill Perkins. And Widner saves the best for last with a scorching, uptempo version of Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning" that parades the most impressive solos of the entire set.

This band is so stacked it's almost unfair, and Widner must know that. Every track contains some of the most stellar live soloing I've heard in quite a while, and it's especially refreshing to know that this music hasn't been spit-shined in the sterility of a recording studio.

Instead, there's the feel of a real bullfight in the jazz and big band arena here, and Jim Widner is our champion with the red cape.

-- Wayne Goins

For information about ordering this CD, contact Chase Music Group at 1-800-724-2730. -- Ed.

RETURN TO JUNE 2000 MAIN INDEX

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






	Search our site:		Steve Cardenas SHEBANG Fresh Sound Records FSNT 079CD Personnel: Steve Cardenas, guitar; Larry Grenadier, bass; Kenny Wollesen, drums Tracks: Across the Way; Lucky Number; Del Cenote; Shebang; Safer Than Heaven; Tai Chi Chai Tea; Mr. Mule; Sacre Coeur; Make It So; Para Ti Recorded September 1-2, 1999 at Big House Recording, New York, NY; Joe Ferla, engineer. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as we paid our cover charges. (I was five years shy of entering the club legally.) I had traveled with a fellow high schooler all the way to Lawrence to hear Ida McBeth's band. But, it was Ida's guitarist, Steve Cardenas, who would make a lasting impression. (My friend and I drank deliciously illicit draws and took in the music.) During a break I timidly approached Cardenas and asked, "How is it that you're not in New York?" He demurred, said something about how there was a lot more work in Kansas City, and that he didn't want to deal with the hassles of big city life. Fortunately for New York -- and unfortunately for Kansas City -- Steve eventually made his way to the Big Apple (by way of the West Coast) and this recording. With bassist Larry Grenadier (who can also be heard on Pat Metheny's 99-00 trio date) and drummer Kenny Wollesen, Steve weaves his way through ten original tunes. His range is impressive, with flavors of Metheny, Monk, Keith Jarrett, and pre-Miles John Scofield, all mixed in a pan that is distinctively Cardenas. The album is neither a strictly "contemporary jazz" project nor a "straightahead" effort. The opening track, "Across the Way," runs in an easy, impressionistic vein. Next up is the deliberate, syncopated "Lucky Number," giving impressions of Monk and Scofield. "Del Cenote" is a ballad, with open harmonies and layers of acoustic guitar familiar to fans of Pat Metheny. Then, the metronome gets moved up for the title track, which skillfully builds tensions before releasing them against a semi-static background that evolves as the tune progresses. "Safer Than Heaven" is a moody piece shifting through lilting harmonies against a brisk rhythmic backdrop. "Tai Chi Chai Tea" shifts from a methodical head to a powerfully emotive single-note solo. "Mr. Mule" is a funky, distortion-laden long-form blues, "Sacre Coeur" gets back to the acoustic ballad mode, "Make It So," is gentle yet brisk, and closing the set is "Para Ti," another contemporary acoustic ballad. The interplay here is strong, with the trio functioning essentially as one complex instrument. Shebang shows remarkable maturity of play, Cardenas makes the impossible seem effortless, and the album is free of flash and pretense. There are no "licks" played, only genuine, soulful music. -- Rod McBride For information about ordering this CD, contact Fresh Sound/New Talent, Camps y Fabres 3-11, Barcelona, Spain 08006; fax: 34 93 415-7391, phone 34 93 415-8132. -- Ed. Luqman Hamza WHEN A SMILE OVERTAKES A FROWN Catalyst Productions CP052000 Personnel: Luqman Hamza, vocals, piano (1, 5, 8, 11); Willie Akins, tenor saxophone; Will Matthews, guitar; Simon Rowe, piano (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10); Willem von Hombracht, bass; Montez Coleman, drums Tracks: Can't See For Looking; Expressing What She Means To Me; Golden Earrings; Estate; When a Smile Overtakes a Frown; Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams; When You Surrender; That Awkward Age; Do I Hear a Waltz?; The Summer Knows; K.C. Cutie Recorded October 30-31, 1999 at Echo Park Studios, Bloomington, IN; Mark Hood, engineer. Luqman Hamza's new CD showcases his dramatic gift for storytelling and a voice that resonates with reassuring warmth. The singer-pianist sets the mood with "Can't See for Looking," featuring the up-beat, down-home, finger snapping vocals his listeners have come to expect. Next is the ballad, "Expressing What She Means to Me" in which Hamza's lilting tenor caresses and builds each sustained note while adding just the right amount of subtle vibrato. Willie Akins' lyrical tenor sax on this track is reminiscent of the ballad work of Stan Getz, but with a bit more activity. The playful, medium tempo "Golden Earrings" contains the following lines: "There's a story/the gypsies know is true/that if your love wears golden earrings/she belongs to you." I can imagine no other singing these lines. They appear made for Hamza. In the ballad "When You Surrender," Hamza's consummate knowledge of the story behind the words informs his measured phrasing. One feels as if Hamza is pulling every note straight from his gut. Each is poignant and brimming with pathos. As a singer/songwriter Hamza follows in the tradition of the Gershwins and Cole Porter. His lyrics always tell a sentiment-enriched story. In "K.C. Cutie," he sings of a concert where he met the inspiration for the song... under "the music/and the syncopated beat/Her sparkling eyes/seemed to say let's meet." In the album's title cut, the lyrics mimic a passage from Porter's "It's Delovely." Instead of "It's delightful. It's delirious. It's the limit. It's deluxe," we have "...It's refreshing, exciting, so revitalizing... when a smile overtakes a frown." Luqman Hamza's spellbinding vocals are backed by a solid, supportive band whose members, when soloing, seldom stray from the tune's melody. One can always hear the words behind each note. But it is Hamza's meticulous vocal work on the ballad "The Summer Knows" that best represents the music on this album. The singer's voice extends as gracefully as the flight of a long ball stretching past the outfield and into the stands, a solid hit every time. -- Kevin Rabas This CD is available at Music Exchange on Broadway, and Streetside Records locations on Broadway and on Metcalf. -- Ed. KC Brass & Electric TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT Blue Mule Records BM 99002 Personnel: David Duffield, cornet, flugelhorn; Neil Nolan, tenor sax, harmonica; Fred Fendorf, vocals, guitar; Eugene Smiley, Jr., vocals, bass; Mike Croft, drums; special guest Wayne L. Jackson, trumpet, trombone Tracks: Tell Me What You Want; I'm From Kansas City; In My Next Life; Farmer John; Muu Muu's Blues; Trouble On the River; El Gato Pisca; Black Diamond; Death In the Family; Lip Magic; Sally Was a Good Old Girl; What Can I Do; Hey Baby Recorded April 23-May 9, 1999 at Pragmatic Studio, Kansas City, MO; Bentley Ousley, engineer. Tell Me What You Want, the latest from KC Brass & Electric, is not necessarily a jazz CD, but rather a mix of the jazzy-bluesy sounds we've come to expect from this popular local band. Wayne L. Jackson of the Memphis Horns is both executive producer, as well as guest trumpeter/trombonist on several cuts. Tell Me What You Want begins in fine fashion with the swing-influenced title track. Listen for Fred Fendorf's Roomful of Blues-inspired vocals. "I'm From Kansas City" is KCB&E's nod to our town, from the Grand Emporium and the Plaza, to KC's crazy little women. "In My Next Life" features some thought-provoking lyrics, "Farmer John" swings in a danceable kind of way, and: you wanna talk blues? "Muu Muu's Blues" pays homage -- with tongue firmly in cheek -- to the many blues classics that tend to be mostly lists of all the things that can go wrong. ("I got those old broke sunglass blues... Somebody sat on my shades last night..." Well, you get the idea.) "Trouble On the River" shines with the vocals of Eugene Smiley, Jr., "El Gato Pisca" has a Tower of Power/Memphis Horns feel (see "executive producer" above), "Black Diamond" again swings the dance floor, and "Death in the Family" pays tribute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughn. "Lip Magic" and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" are two more in the just-for-fun zone, the bittersweet blues-ballad "What Can I Do" slows things down a notch, and the CD ends with the standard "Hey, Baby." Plan on singing along with this one. Tell Me What You Want, along with the band's 1997 release Dangerous Pleasure, can be purchased at Music Exchange, Barnes & Noble, the Listening Room (Barry Road in NKC), and the Best of Kansas City (Crown Center). Pick up both, get charged and enjoy. -- Vanessa Barnard Louis Neal Big Band BIGGER & BETTER BRC Audio Productions Personnel: Nathan Robinson, Logan Richardson, alto saxophones; Gerald Dunn, Calvin Whitmore, Chris Collier, tenor saxophones; Horace Washington, baritone saxophone; Myron Brimm, Al Pearson, Godfrey Powell, Barry Russell, trumpets; Russell Davis, Cordell Edwards, Reginald May, Louis Neal, Tim Perryman, trombones; Charles Williams, Harold O’Neal, piano; Curtis Oberle, guitar; Seth Lee, bass; Clarence Smith, drums; Raynola Ortega-Clay, vocals; with special guests Ahmad Alaadeen, tenor saxophone; Sonny Kenner, guitar; Claude "Fiddler" Williams, violin; Luqman Hamza, vocals; Frank Smith, piano Tracks: Meet Ellen; Robin's Nest; My One and Only Love; For the Love of You; Groovin' High; My, My, My; The Boy From Ipanema; It's All Relative; Love Won't Let Me Wait; In the Mix; Moten Swing. Recorded at BRC Audio Productions, Kansas City, MO: Bill Crain, engineer. Big bands are dead, you say? Then you haven't heard the one led by Kansas City's Louis Neal. Neal and company perform frequently around KC. And the reason for the band's ongoing popularity is captured well on their new recording, Bigger & Better. The leader has arranged all the tracks here except for "Moten Swing," and, as always, has surrounded himself with many of KC's finest jazz musicians. "Meet Ellen," written by Neal, gets things off to a jumpin' start. The chart is played tightly and shines with solos from Tim Perryman on trombone and Gerald Dunn on tenor. "Robin's Nest" slows things down a notch while showcasing the soulful voice of Luqman Hamza and the tenor talents of Ahmad Alaadeen. It's a winning combination. Next is the gorgeous ballad "My One and Only Love" with Al Pearson out front on trumpet. A new spin on the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" follows. (Smooth jazz meets big band!) Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High" features a grand violin solo by jazz legend Claude "Fiddler" Williams, and "My, My, My" spotlights Charles Williams on piano and Nathan Robinson on soprano sax. Vocalist Raynola Ortega-Clay brings a woman's point of view to Jobim's "Ipanema" as she admires the "boy" on that famous beach. (What a great voice she has!) "It's All Relative," another original by Neal, swings hard with the help of veteran guitarist Sonny Kenner, who brings just the right mix of blues and jazz. "Love Won't Let Me Wait" will make you hurry onto the late night dance floor with your current squeeze. "In the Mix" (also from the pen of Neal) enables everyone to groove flawlessly (listen for another strong solo by Al Pearson). And the classic "Moten Swing" -- with a tasty piano intro from the late Frank Smith -- adds icing to the cake. So, no, big bands aren't dead just yet. And the Louis Neal Big Band is doing its part to keep them alive in KC. -- Vanessa Barnard Jim Widner Big Band "LIVE" THE JIM WIDNER BIG BAND RIDES AGAIN Chase Music Group CMD8058 Personnel: Kim Richmond, alto sax, flute; Dave Pietro, alto sax, flute; Rick DiMuzio, tenor sax, flute; Bill Perkins, tenor sax, flute; Jon Stone, bari sax, bass clarinet; Paul McKee, Brett Stamps, Ron Anson, Douglas Purviance, trombones; John Harner, Mike Vax, Clay Jenkins, Dave Scott, Rick Stitzel, Tijuana Julian, trumpets; Reggie Thomas, piano; Gary Hobbs, drums; Rick Stitzel, auxiliary percussion; Brian Harman, guitar; Jim Widner, bass; Mardra Thomas, vocals Tracks: Little Gus; Alright, Okay, You Win; The Meaning of the Blues; Big Sur; In the Wee Small Hours Of the Morning; Trump Card Suite I; Trump Card Suite II; Mood Indigo; Out of Nowhere; Rhythm-A-Ning Recorded live June 13-18, 1999 at Drury University, Springfield, MO; Nick Sibley, engineer. If anyone needs a renewal of faith when it comes to hard swing, elite soloing, uncommonly good writing, and razor sharp ensemble, the latest Jim Widner Big Band album is the answer to your prayers. Culled from a live outing at the Drury Jazz Camp in Springfield last year, the event was smartly captured on CD by Widner, who is clearly unafraid of allowing his ensemble to fly without a net. The opening track, "Little Gus," was written by the outstanding trombonist, Paul McKee. Widner also serves up generous helpings of excellent writing and playing by saxophonist Kim Richmond, especially on "Big Sur," a performance that must have had the audience sitting up straight right from the start. Next is a somber -- and beautiful -- recitation of the standard "In the Wee Small Hours Of the Morning," followed by the album's most intense arrangements (by Richmond), "Trump Card Suite I" and "...II." Get ready for some severely burning trumpet work from Mike Vax (Part I), and Clay Jenkins and Dave Scott (Part II). A snappy version of "Alright, Okay, You Win" has Mardra Thomas fronting the band with a sassy vocal that would make Nancy Wilson proud. Then there's a gorgeous rendering of "The Meaning Of the Blues," which conjures images of Miles' Sketches of Spain thanks to Clay Jenkins' evocative tone and phrasing. The final trio of tunes are standards. "Mood Indigo" has Reggie Thomas providing superb arranging for the band as well as a fresh take on piano. "Out of Nowhere," a blistering Bill Holman arrangement, picks things up and features some precision ensemble work along with great tenor fire from Bill Perkins. And Widner saves the best for last with a scorching, uptempo version of Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning" that parades the most impressive solos of the entire set. This band is so stacked it's almost unfair, and Widner must know that. Every track contains some of the most stellar live soloing I've heard in quite a while, and it's especially refreshing to know that this music hasn't been spit-shined in the sterility of a recording studio. Instead, there's the feel of a real bullfight in the jazz and big band arena here, and Jim Widner is our champion with the red cape. -- Wayne Goins For information about ordering this CD, contact Chase Music Group at 1-800-724-2730. -- Ed. RETURN TO JUNE 2000 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.