JAM: February/March 2003 Issue: For the Record

David Brandom
HOME
Personnel: David Brandom, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Jim O'Connor, trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Cardenas, electric guitar; Tim Regusis, acoustic piano; Cliff Schmitt, acoustic bass; Ron Vincent, drums

Tracks: Wintergreen; Home; Gusano Loco; Hide Your Tears; Flat Out; Belize; MOB; When I Hold You; Full House

Recorded February 11 and 21, 2002 at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY; Mike Marciano, engineer.

Subtlety and taste are the hallmarks of this release by saxophonist and former Kansas Citian David Brandom. Other Kansas City expatriates on the recording are guitarist Steve Cardenas and drummer Ron Vincent.

The opening track, "Wintergreen," is an easy Latin-rock, deft and gentle, with solos by Brandom and trumpeter Jim O'Connor topped off by a gorgeous bass solo by Cliff Schmitt, with Cardenas comping behind him.

The title track includes an outstanding piano solo by Tim Regusis. And "Gusano Loco" is a brighter Latin number, with a Horace Silver feel. Brandom in particular builds a strong solo on this piece.

"Hide Your Tears" is a soulful ballad, with a beautiful intro by Regusis and Cardenas. The up-tempo "Flat Out" smokes, with standout solos by O'Connor and Cardenas.

Tim Regusis puts in a marvelously tailored solo on the laid back "Belize," followed by choruses from Brandom and Cardenas respectively.

"MOB" is an interesting long-form piece, starting out with a brooding feel; bass and drums set things up before opening to a straight-eighth groove, and ending with color added by Brandom's bass clarinet.

"When I Hold You" is a medium-slow piece with a lyrical solo by Brandom. And finishing the set is the Wes Montgomery classic "Full House," with concise solos by Regusis, Brandom and Cardenas.

Also worth mentioning is Ron Vincent. While he takes no solos here, Vincent displays the quality Pat Metheny once used to describe Roy Haynes: busy but never in the way.

David Brandom's compositions (all but "Full House" were penned by him) show a mastery of tension and release combined with a melodic sensibility that puts me in mind of Wayne Shorter. All of the soloists improvise to fit the tune, adding to each, not just making the changes, and giving the album an overall "composed" feel. There is fire in the solos, but no wasted notes, and nothing out of place. And Brandom shows remarkable restraint; he seems to be more interested in recording a high quality CD than hogging the ball and producing a showcase of his own (considerable) talents.

Whether you're an active listener paying attention to the nuances of these performances, or a casual one who puts on a CD for background at a dinner party, Home works. It's difficult to point to peaks and valleys, as the entire disc is highly sophisticated and very listenable. -- Rod McBride

Gary Dammer Sextet
with Kim Park
A TIME FOR LOVE
(I-70 Jazz Connection, Return Visit)
Personnel: Gary Dammer, trumpet, flugelhorn; Kim Park, alto saxophone, flute; Brett Stamps, trombone; Joe Cartwright, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait, drums

Tracks; Just Friends; Smile; A Time for Love; Tangerine; Girl From Ipanema; In a Mellow Tone; C Jam Blues; Skylark/Sentimental; Stella By Starlight; Opus One; All the Things You Are

Recorded January 2, 2002 at Soundtrek Studios, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer

The I-70 Jazz Connection brings together two veteran St. Louis area hornmen with the fine KC reedman Kim Park and the western I-70 rhythm section of Joe Cartwright, Bob Bowman and Todd Strait. On A Time For Love they give us 12 familiar jazz and pop standards, most arranged by St. Louis' Lee Hyde, and the result is quite enjoyable.

Trumpeter Gary Dammer's style is as straightahead as the CD's song list. His tone reminds me of Red Rodney, but stylistically Clark Terry comes to mind, especially on "C Jam Blues." Dammer's flugelhorn is also tasty; his statement of the title track is especially effective on the mellower horn. He also plays muted trumpet on several tracks, most favorably on "In a Mellow Tone" where his lines are reminiscent of "Sweets" Edison.

The opener "Just Friends" features the West Coast-inspired harmonies in Lee Hyde's arrangement. There are similarities with Frank Strazzeri's Woodwinds West ensemble, in this case with a 3-horn front line. "Smile" is taken at an easy swing pace; Bowman brings his perfect time, and Cartwright's solo features his bluesy style.

Joe Cartwright is excellent throughout. He takes a beautiful half chorus in "A Time For Love" plus the first solo on the next two tracks. Kim Park follows Cartwright on "Tangerine" and surprises with a "Christmas Song" quote.

Park's flute on "Girl From Ipanema" is a highlight of the disc. His opening before Dammer's theme leaves us anticipating his return, which comes after another Cartwright solo statement. The wait proves worthwhile on this bossa nova standard.

Park is a star on the next four tunes. He builds from the lower register to a climax on "Mellowtone;" his alto sax is the lead horn on the uptempo "C Jam Blues;" he plays the ballad medley opener, "Skylark;" and he is featured on the bridge and in the first solo on "Stella By Starlight." "Stella" also features trombonist Brett Stamps, who shares theme duties and has his best solo following Park's. The two hornmen do some frisky simultaneous blowing to take it out, with Todd Strait kicking things along nicely.

I feared "Opus One" would be another tired treatment, but it proved to be a nice (and danceable) outing. Cartwright's comping behind the ensemble phrases caught my ear early, and his split chorus with Bowman brings it all home.

"All The Things You Are" was arranged by Kim Park. The first note only of each bar is stated in the theme, making the treatment unusual. A muted Dammer plays over Bowman for a chorus here, and Strait gets a turn to end the proceedings.

Gary Dammer dedicates this CD to his late wife of 27 years, and to his soon-to-be bride, who had also recently lost her spouse to a long illness. All profits from the CD's sales go to help cancer patients in the name of The Mimi Dammer Memorial Fund

-- Roger Atkinson

Marilyn Maye
THE SINGING SIDE OF LIFE
Personnel: Marilyn Maye, vocals; Billy Stritch, piano; Andy Hall, Bob Bowman, Gerald Spaits, bass; Rod Fleeman, guitar; Hal Melia, saxophones, flute; Jim Eklof, drums; Gary Helm, percussion

Tracks: Friends Medley (Just Friends/With a Little Help From My Friends); On a Clear Day; Sailing; Rainbow Medley (Look to the Rainbow/Over the Rainbow/Rainbow Connection); Young Medley (Young and Foolish/You Make Me Feel So Young/Young at Heart); Midnight Sun; Rain; University of Okoboji; Estherville; Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home; Old Friends; Step to the Rear; I Love Being Here With You; Sails; Play It Again, Sam; Here's To Life; Look for the Silver Lining; Thanks for the Memory; It's Today; What a Wonderful World; Isn't That What Friends Are For

Recorded at Soundtrek Studios, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer.

First, understand that Gene Lees is surely the best writer on jazz and on singers in the world today. He's also a lyricist ("Waltz for Debbie," "Quiet Nights") and an occasional singer. So when he said the following in his Jazzletter a few years ago, many of us paid attention:

"Marilyn (Maye) has the most prodigious technique of any singer in 'popular' music. For that matter, I don't think too many opera singers can equal it. Marilyn can go from forte to pianissimo in a blink, and back again. Her high notes soar effortlessly. Her intonation is flawless, almost awesome. Her time is equally impressive. She has a wonderful command of tonal colors, and an exquisitely controlled vibrato. She tosses in effortless appoggiaturas in perfect taste. Her breath control is amazing... None of this is to the purpose of showing off the singer; it is at the service of the song. She catches all the dramatic nuances of a lyric and brings the meaning of each line into relief."

All of which makes reviewing The Singing Side of Life easy (once one has looked up "appoggiatura" in a big, big dictionary). But I would be confident in asserting that this is an excellent piece of work, even without Gene Lees' authoritative commentary.

Marilyn uses her regular trio -- Billy Stritch on piano, Andy Hall on bass, and Jim Eklof on drums -- with additional backup from several of Kansas City's strongest musicians: Hal Melia on reeds, Rod Fleeman on guitar, Bob Bowman and Gerald Spaits on bass, and Gary Helm on percussion.

The arrangements are by Stritch, Fleeman, Melia and Marilyn. They take you through 26 songs, some tied together in medleys. Among them, I can tell you which are my favorites: Two by Johnny Mercer -- "Midnight Sun" and "Anywhere I Hang My Hat" -- and "Sails," because of the sensitive lyrics by Lees.

But you shouldn't attach much importance to those choices. It's just my personal taste and you might prefer "On a Clear Day" or one of the pieces Miss Maye does to salute her long association with northern Iowa and the people of Lake Okoboji.

I finished listening to this CD with a sense of guilt. I am one of those who have taken this great Kansas City singer for granted, always resolving to catch her act next time she was performing here. Not any more!

-- Bill Fogarty






	Search our site:		David Brandom HOME Personnel: David Brandom, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Jim O'Connor, trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Cardenas, electric guitar; Tim Regusis, acoustic piano; Cliff Schmitt, acoustic bass; Ron Vincent, drums Tracks: Wintergreen; Home; Gusano Loco; Hide Your Tears; Flat Out; Belize; MOB; When I Hold You; Full House Recorded February 11 and 21, 2002 at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY; Mike Marciano, engineer. Subtlety and taste are the hallmarks of this release by saxophonist and former Kansas Citian David Brandom. Other Kansas City expatriates on the recording are guitarist Steve Cardenas and drummer Ron Vincent. The opening track, "Wintergreen," is an easy Latin-rock, deft and gentle, with solos by Brandom and trumpeter Jim O'Connor topped off by a gorgeous bass solo by Cliff Schmitt, with Cardenas comping behind him. The title track includes an outstanding piano solo by Tim Regusis. And "Gusano Loco" is a brighter Latin number, with a Horace Silver feel. Brandom in particular builds a strong solo on this piece. "Hide Your Tears" is a soulful ballad, with a beautiful intro by Regusis and Cardenas. The up-tempo "Flat Out" smokes, with standout solos by O'Connor and Cardenas. Tim Regusis puts in a marvelously tailored solo on the laid back "Belize," followed by choruses from Brandom and Cardenas respectively. "MOB" is an interesting long-form piece, starting out with a brooding feel; bass and drums set things up before opening to a straight-eighth groove, and ending with color added by Brandom's bass clarinet. "When I Hold You" is a medium-slow piece with a lyrical solo by Brandom. And finishing the set is the Wes Montgomery classic "Full House," with concise solos by Regusis, Brandom and Cardenas. Also worth mentioning is Ron Vincent. While he takes no solos here, Vincent displays the quality Pat Metheny once used to describe Roy Haynes: busy but never in the way. David Brandom's compositions (all but "Full House" were penned by him) show a mastery of tension and release combined with a melodic sensibility that puts me in mind of Wayne Shorter. All of the soloists improvise to fit the tune, adding to each, not just making the changes, and giving the album an overall "composed" feel. There is fire in the solos, but no wasted notes, and nothing out of place. And Brandom shows remarkable restraint; he seems to be more interested in recording a high quality CD than hogging the ball and producing a showcase of his own (considerable) talents. Whether you're an active listener paying attention to the nuances of these performances, or a casual one who puts on a CD for background at a dinner party, Home works. It's difficult to point to peaks and valleys, as the entire disc is highly sophisticated and very listenable. -- Rod McBride Gary Dammer Sextet with Kim Park A TIME FOR LOVE (I-70 Jazz Connection, Return Visit) Personnel: Gary Dammer, trumpet, flugelhorn; Kim Park, alto saxophone, flute; Brett Stamps, trombone; Joe Cartwright, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait, drums Tracks; Just Friends; Smile; A Time for Love; Tangerine; Girl From Ipanema; In a Mellow Tone; C Jam Blues; Skylark/Sentimental; Stella By Starlight; Opus One; All the Things You Are Recorded January 2, 2002 at Soundtrek Studios, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer The I-70 Jazz Connection brings together two veteran St. Louis area hornmen with the fine KC reedman Kim Park and the western I-70 rhythm section of Joe Cartwright, Bob Bowman and Todd Strait. On A Time For Love they give us 12 familiar jazz and pop standards, most arranged by St. Louis' Lee Hyde, and the result is quite enjoyable. Trumpeter Gary Dammer's style is as straightahead as the CD's song list. His tone reminds me of Red Rodney, but stylistically Clark Terry comes to mind, especially on "C Jam Blues." Dammer's flugelhorn is also tasty; his statement of the title track is especially effective on the mellower horn. He also plays muted trumpet on several tracks, most favorably on "In a Mellow Tone" where his lines are reminiscent of "Sweets" Edison. The opener "Just Friends" features the West Coast-inspired harmonies in Lee Hyde's arrangement. There are similarities with Frank Strazzeri's Woodwinds West ensemble, in this case with a 3-horn front line. "Smile" is taken at an easy swing pace; Bowman brings his perfect time, and Cartwright's solo features his bluesy style. Joe Cartwright is excellent throughout. He takes a beautiful half chorus in "A Time For Love" plus the first solo on the next two tracks. Kim Park follows Cartwright on "Tangerine" and surprises with a "Christmas Song" quote. Park's flute on "Girl From Ipanema" is a highlight of the disc. His opening before Dammer's theme leaves us anticipating his return, which comes after another Cartwright solo statement. The wait proves worthwhile on this bossa nova standard. Park is a star on the next four tunes. He builds from the lower register to a climax on "Mellowtone;" his alto sax is the lead horn on the uptempo "C Jam Blues;" he plays the ballad medley opener, "Skylark;" and he is featured on the bridge and in the first solo on "Stella By Starlight." "Stella" also features trombonist Brett Stamps, who shares theme duties and has his best solo following Park's. The two hornmen do some frisky simultaneous blowing to take it out, with Todd Strait kicking things along nicely. I feared "Opus One" would be another tired treatment, but it proved to be a nice (and danceable) outing. Cartwright's comping behind the ensemble phrases caught my ear early, and his split chorus with Bowman brings it all home. "All The Things You Are" was arranged by Kim Park. The first note only of each bar is stated in the theme, making the treatment unusual. A muted Dammer plays over Bowman for a chorus here, and Strait gets a turn to end the proceedings. Gary Dammer dedicates this CD to his late wife of 27 years, and to his soon-to-be bride, who had also recently lost her spouse to a long illness. All profits from the CD's sales go to help cancer patients in the name of The Mimi Dammer Memorial Fund -- Roger Atkinson Marilyn Maye THE SINGING SIDE OF LIFE Personnel: Marilyn Maye, vocals; Billy Stritch, piano; Andy Hall, Bob Bowman, Gerald Spaits, bass; Rod Fleeman, guitar; Hal Melia, saxophones, flute; Jim Eklof, drums; Gary Helm, percussion Tracks: Friends Medley (Just Friends/With a Little Help From My Friends); On a Clear Day; Sailing; Rainbow Medley (Look to the Rainbow/Over the Rainbow/Rainbow Connection); Young Medley (Young and Foolish/You Make Me Feel So Young/Young at Heart); Midnight Sun; Rain; University of Okoboji; Estherville; Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home; Old Friends; Step to the Rear; I Love Being Here With You; Sails; Play It Again, Sam; Here's To Life; Look for the Silver Lining; Thanks for the Memory; It's Today; What a Wonderful World; Isn't That What Friends Are For Recorded at Soundtrek Studios, Kansas City, MO; Ron Ubel, engineer. First, understand that Gene Lees is surely the best writer on jazz and on singers in the world today. He's also a lyricist ("Waltz for Debbie," "Quiet Nights") and an occasional singer. So when he said the following in his Jazzletter a few years ago, many of us paid attention: "Marilyn (Maye) has the most prodigious technique of any singer in 'popular' music. For that matter, I don't think too many opera singers can equal it. Marilyn can go from forte to pianissimo in a blink, and back again. Her high notes soar effortlessly. Her intonation is flawless, almost awesome. Her time is equally impressive. She has a wonderful command of tonal colors, and an exquisitely controlled vibrato. She tosses in effortless appoggiaturas in perfect taste. Her breath control is amazing... None of this is to the purpose of showing off the singer; it is at the service of the song. She catches all the dramatic nuances of a lyric and brings the meaning of each line into relief." All of which makes reviewing The Singing Side of Life easy (once one has looked up "appoggiatura" in a big, big dictionary). But I would be confident in asserting that this is an excellent piece of work, even without Gene Lees' authoritative commentary. Marilyn uses her regular trio -- Billy Stritch on piano, Andy Hall on bass, and Jim Eklof on drums -- with additional backup from several of Kansas City's strongest musicians: Hal Melia on reeds, Rod Fleeman on guitar, Bob Bowman and Gerald Spaits on bass, and Gary Helm on percussion. The arrangements are by Stritch, Fleeman, Melia and Marilyn. They take you through 26 songs, some tied together in medleys. Among them, I can tell you which are my favorites: Two by Johnny Mercer -- "Midnight Sun" and "Anywhere I Hang My Hat" -- and "Sails," because of the sensitive lyrics by Lees. But you shouldn't attach much importance to those choices. It's just my personal taste and you might prefer "On a Clear Day" or one of the pieces Miss Maye does to salute her long association with northern Iowa and the people of Lake Okoboji. I finished listening to this CD with a sense of guilt. I am one of those who have taken this great Kansas City singer for granted, always resolving to catch her act next time she was performing here. Not any more! -- Bill Fogarty RETURN TO FEBRUARY/MARCH 2003 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2003. All rights reserved.