The Whole Music Experience

The Michael Treni Big Band Boy’s Night Out Bell Production Co. The Jens Wendelboe Big Band Fresh Heat Rosa Records When I think of big bandleaders, I think piano.   Yet, here are two new releases by trombonists leading modern-era big bands.   You won’t find rehashed covers of Ellington or other American jazz legends, but both the Michael Treni 16-piece big band and The Jens Weldelboe Big Band swing low and high.   First, there is Treni who began his jazz career with promise, almost landing a touring gig with Art Blakely that at the last moment fell through leading the musician to a new direction of arranging.    Trombonist Jens Wendelboe, on the other hand, has run the gamut between jazz, pop, and movie soundtracks.   He leans heavily on a strong melody. Opening with Leonard Bernstein’s Something’s Coming Treni and his musicians provide robust jazz on the album, Boy’s Night Out .   The musical personnel however, does...

Ahmad Jamal Blue Moon Jazz Village (Harmonia Mundi) The liner notes for American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal’s Blue Moon, The New York Session , call the album a masterpiece and I would have to agree. Distilled in Jamal’s performance are decades of jazz exploration, improvisations, and a pioneering spirit that brings old standards such as Laura and Blue Moon vibrantly alive; and with original compositions, highlight Jamal’s ear for tone, texture, and polyrhythms. Jamal strings together exquisite musical pearls, from the Latin-ized Invitation , Blue Moon , supported by conga beats (Manolo Badrena) and Cuban piano motifs, as well as, mind-blowing syncopation that keeps listeners guessing. While I enjoy hearing familiar songs tossed into unfamiliar terrain and witnessing Jamal’s imagination at work when he segues into blues motifs in the middle of Laura , or repeats a Latin piano motif in between Blue Moon ’ s famous melody, he and his quartet (Badrena, Reginald Veal, dou...

Mario Romano Quartet Valentina Alma Records Opening with the chestnut, Night in Tunisia , Mario Romano Quartet brings a “Latin tinge” to the debut album, Valentina . It’s hard to imagine that a man who runs a construction company in Toronto, Mario Romano also possesses an extraordinary gift as a pianist. In fact, the press notes cite that Romano waited 40 years before following through on his passion for music. In a way that ‘s a shame, given that jazz audiences waited 4 decades to enjoy Romano’s musical gift.   But on the other hand, he brings maturity, grace, and elegance to his debut album. Sometimes we just have to wait. Romano’s Latin-style piano playing is immersed in Pat LaBarbera’s stunning tenor saxophone, Mark Kelso’s syncopated drumming; and held down by Roberto Occhipinti’s bass. The four musicians travel through mostly jazz standards such as Dizzy Gillespie’s Night in Tunisia , the Beatles’ Norwegian Wood , Jacques Pervert Autumn Leaves (perfect timin...