Trilogy with Scott Hamilton: a beautiful meeting in Canada on "Slow Road"

 

Trilogy with Scott Hamilton-The Slow Road-Cellar Records

The saxophonist Scott Hamilton has always been one of my favorite players. His  impeccable tone, his taste in music, and the inherent, natural swing in his delivery is a fall back to a style that can be traced back to some of his idols; Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Zoot Sims and Coleman Hawkins. What's not to love?

Hamilton was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1954 so he is part of my generation. Where many of us drawn of that age were drawn to rock, fusion, hard bop, modal, free and avant-garde, Hamilton was enamored by swing. He came to New York in 1976 and was recommended to join Benny Goodman's Septet shortly thereafter by the great trumpet icon Roy Eldridge, who he had played previously with in Boston. Hamilton made his mark with Goodman and played in the US and Europe with the clarinetist on and off through 1982. Hamilton started his own his quartet in 1977 and made his debut album Scott Hamilton Is a Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill on Concord Jazz the same year. I recall hearing this saxophonist on WBGO or WRVR jazz radio back in the late seventies, and I was impressed by his sound and fluidity.

I got to see him in that time period at the now defunct jazz club at, Fat Tuesdays (190 Third Ave at 17th Street in NYC), a downstairs club that was famous for bringing in serious jazz artists to perform in that intimate venue. Needless to say I was smitten. The ease with which he was able to enrapture his audience with his sound and fluency made it clear to me that this was one special artist.

Apparently, Hamilton has had the same effect on other artists that he has collaborated with. He accompanied vocalist Rosemary Clooney for ten years. His mellifluous saxophone can also be heard on work that he did with Tony Bennett, Anita O' Day, Dave McKenna, Ruby Braff, Hank Jones, Warren Vache and Bucky Pizzareli to name just a few. I have enjoyed his saxophone deliciously playing ethnically folk-inspired music to great effect, like the album that he did with Danish artists titled Swedish Ballads...& More from 2013.

Scott Hamilton (photo credit unknown)

The most recent album, from Corey Weeds label Cellar Music Group, matches Hamilton with a Canadian jazz trio from Vancouver British Columbia called Trilogy. The album was recorded in B.C. on June 30, 2024 and released this past April titled Slow Road and Hamilton and this sympathetic trio make some beautiful music. 

Trilogy, a drum-less trio,  is comprised of pianist Miles Black, guitarist Bill Coon and upright bassist Jodi Proznick. With Trilogy's format, it is easy to see that not having a drummer driving the trio relies on Proznick's steadfast bass lines to propel the music and this talented bassist certainly does so with aplomb.

Miles Black, Jodi Proznick and Bill Coon of Trilogy (photo credit unknown)

The album is well recorded and includes nine compositions that show the diversity of the music this trio approaches. Having Hamilton's beautifully sensuous sound just adds to the groups appeal.

The opener is Proznick's "Luna," a strolling waltz that features the melodic piano of Black, the floating guitar work of Coon and Proznick's plucky bass. When Hamilton enters the music with his spare, warm, inviting sound and covers you like a warm blanket on a chilled autumn evening. These musicians are well-suited to playing with creation, easy swing and style as they dance in unison and in solo on this one. 

The album continues with "Pompton Turnpike," a rag tag, bouncy song made famous by the Charlie Barnet's Orchestra back in the nineteen forties. The group[ opens with some stride-inspired piano work by Black , some warm and tactile  guitar accompaniment by Coon, and buoyant bass work by Proznick, before Hamilton enters with his own swinging statement. If there is music that is supposed to billow up your spirits it's certainly music like this.

Antonio Carlos Jobim's tender "Luiza" is the perfect vehicle to allow Hamilton to simply sweep you away with his emotionally evoking saxophone. Black opens this one with an impressionable piano intro before Hamilton's tonally expressive tenor plays the evocative melody that plucks against the strings of your heart. Coon's guitar swells with glowing expression before Hamilton returns with one more pass at the theme that just adds a moving exclamation to the coda.

The title cut of the album "Slow Road" is a composition by the guitarist Bill Coon, who wrote the song during a residency in Italy. Coon opens the bouncy tune with repeating single note lines that is played in sync with Hamilton's subdued tenor. The saxophonist opens it up into a slow swinger with his sweet, flowing sound. Coon, Black, and Proznick all counter with their own solo verses before the tune returns to the four musicians playing the melody in unison.

Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche" is a fast tempo bebop classic that purportedly refers to Parker's one time drug dealer. Hamilton sits this one out, so this is a chance for the trio to show some of their chops. The three musicians play the quick lines in skillful synchronicity before they each take turns exploring the music's harmonic possibilities. While not played at blazing speed, the group carries the spirit with vigor and style.

Pianist Randy Weston is the composer of the next two offerings "Hi-Fly" and "I Thought About You." The cadenced rhythm of "Hi-Fly" offers some nice interplay opportunities for the four compatriots. Black's piano work is rich and cheerful. Hamilton's saxophone has such an organic feel and his timing is exquisite. There is a classic sound to Coon's lovely guitar work on this one as he navigates the changes with astute taste and feel. 

On "I Thought About You" opens with Proznick's resonant bass stating the melody as Coon deftly accompanies. Hamilton's restrained approach leaves lots of space and allows his horn to breathe between his expressive ideas. Black and Coon have a conversational section where they skillfully trade musical ideas.

A blast from the past that is rarely heard is Ralph Rainger and Leo Rabin's "Thanks for the Memories," The song made popular by becoming comedian Bob Hope's theme song. This slow walk down memory lane is played slowly, but Hamilton still finds some ideas to emphasize through this nostalgic ditty.

A medium tempo blues written by the pianist Miles Black titled "Blues for Fraz"  is dedicated by fellow Canadian jazz saxophonist Fraser MacPherson. A tight little gritless blues swings, but to me falls short for its lack of the authenticity and soul that is required to be part of the true blues DNA.

Slow Road has moments of sublimeness and its great to hear this talented trio  make such beautiful music with Hamilton. Now in his early seventies, the tenor saxophonist still has that burnished, appealing tone and swing that always makes seeing him play live or hearing him on record worth the price of admission.

 

Larry Goldings and his Piano Trio Live at Sam First : "I Will"

Larry Goldings and his trio : I Will: Live at Sam First: Sam First Records

The musician Larry Goldings recorded a piano trio performance when he played at the Los Angeles Club, Sam First , back in October of 2023. The Album, I Will, was released by Sam First Records on Valentine's Day February 14, 2025 and features Goldings on piano, Karl McComas-Reichl on upright bass and Christian Euan on drums. This "live" album was excellently recorded and a superb capture of Goldings at some of his most creative on piano. Careful listening of his piano work make clear that Goldings, despite his reign as one of the time's most revered player of electronic keyboards and particularly the B3 organ, is also one of the most eclectically inspired and harmonically imaginative piano minds of this era.

Larry Goldings, Karl McComas-Reichl, Christian Euman (photo credit unknown)  

Interestingly, I last heard Larry Goldings within days of his recording of this album in Los Angeles back in October of 2023. In the performance I attended at Portland's 1905 jazz club, Goldings was on organ and playing with his excellent  long-time organ trio mates Peter Bernstein on guitar and Bill Stewart on drums. The show was fantastic and for those who have an interest you can read that review by clicking here.

Goldings' has a sterling reputation as an innovative organ and keyboard master who has worked with such diverse artists as Rickie Lee Jones, Maceo Parker, James Taylor, Norah Jones, John Scofield and Steely Dan to name just a few. He developed his fascination with the organ from his additional interest in playing a walking, left-handed piano bass line, vis-à-vis his influence from the pianist Dave McKenna- with the man's facility to left-hand walking bass like no other.

I am familiar with Goldings' solo piano work from his excellent piano solo album from 2011, In My Room. Goldings' unique ability to mine such expressiveness from slightly obscure gems like Brian Wilson's beautifully reflective "In My Room," Rod Argent from the Zombie's haunting "A Rose for Emily," and even the well worn Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" among others are fertile material for the pianist to open up other musical revitalizing possibilities.

On I Will, Goldings has brought together another astute selection of songs that reinforce the artists eclectic taste in music. The album starts off with his own composition "Roach," which he reprised from his previous solo album In My Room. The song is a homage of sorts to the style of drummer icon Max Roach. In comparing the two versions, one can hear Goldings predominant left handed bass line that drives the song in the original recording. In the latest take, Goldings reintroduces this slightly skewed bluesy composition and opens with that groove, this time accentuated by what sounds like some creative abrasion of the cymbal rim by Euman for percussive effect. Goldings pianistic walking bas line is now reinforced by McComas-Reichl's probing upright bass and Euman's exploring percussion. The freedom of having this intuitive rhythm section carry the groove load seems to release the inventive Goldings to his own devices. He adds more dissonant surprises, adds interesting harmonic possibilities to his playing and adds rhythmic variations to spice things up. This version adds interesting embellishments by Goldings and creative accompaniment by his talented bandmates that make the set more adventurous, unpredictable and rewarding.

Goldings' chosen repertoire for this album is another peek into just how diverse this man's musical background has been, He takes Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" from the famous folk-opera "Porgy and Bess," and he and his trio use the melody almost like an artist uses a pencil sketch on empty canvas that is transformed into a colorful masterpiece. These guys have a symbiotic relationship and it is most clearly demonstrated on this particular performance. The communication is almost telepathic and the trio injects a modern perspective and some vital energy into this weathered classic. Goldings' Shearing-like block chording and his musical humor at the coda is a treat.

The Beatles' compositions, in this case a McCartney tune, "I Will", are often vehicles that Goldings uses to see what can be further crafted. On this one, the pianist almost broods over the fetching melody. He extracts meaning from the essence of the love song's message, always being there for someone. His piano bobs and weaves around the melody as his is conversationally accompanied by the buoyant bass of  McComas-Reichl. 

The repertoire continues to throw you a curve ball, this time with Mario Bausa's "Mambo Inn." Opening this one with Euman's syncopated drum work, the group creates a breezy flow that immediately brings your feet into the action as the Afro-Cuban rhythm unfolds. There is a joy in the pianist's hands and it is pure delight. Bassist  McComas-Reichl offers a plucky, facile bass solo that resonates with authority. Euman is equally rhythmically engaged in creating this musical vacation to the tropics. Grab an umbrella drink and enjoy.

"Embraceable You," another number from Gershwin, is a song that Goldings reprised from his Awareness album released in 1996. That album matched Goldings on piano with bassist Larry Grenadier and the iconic drum legend Paul Motian. On this latest take, Goldings meanders at the intro, probing, establishing  direction and determining the right time before introducing the recognizable melody. McComas-Reichl and Euman find equal time to explore the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities along with Larry, a little outside but never too far from the structure of the music. Goldings' pianistic approach is like a wellspring of variations that he creates on stage and in real time and he has the chops to pull off anything that his mind can percolate. His music has an inherently organic feel to it, and his audience at Sam First were rewarded by his unfettered imagination.

"Jasus Was A Cross Maker" is a composition by singer/songwriter Judee Sill from back in 1971. The song was inspired by Sill having read a fictionized novel about Jesus being a carpenter who built crosses that the Roman's used for crucifixions. Despite the preposterous storyline the music has an Americana feel to it with Goldings using a honky-tonk-like piano approach that delves into a gospel influenced sound to great effect. McComas-Reichl offers an inventive bass solo that seems to support the redemptive aspects of the music.

Goldings preferences on music can sometimes include his love of pop and showtime music. On Leonard Bernstein's uplifting "Somewhere" from the maestro's musical hit West Side Story is wonderfully portrayed by the trio. There is pathos and hope in this music. Goldings mines the emotional aspects of this fetching tale with some gorgeous ornamentation and dramatic chordal work in his playing.

The closing composition is a Goldings' original titled "Sing Song." The music has a repeating, simple, sing-song melody that evokes a child-like fairy tale theme quality. But Goldings is also a humorist, just ask his alter-ego "Hans Groiner," an Austrian musicologist that sometimes raises his head at some of Goldings' appearances. The approach to this music is a bit misleading. Like the master of hip humor Thelonious Monk, who used to add his tongue-in-cheek lines to songs like his "Boo Boo's Birthday" or his "Little Rootie Tootie," Goldings is equally adept at inserting humorous lines into complex musical compositions. First with the repeating, simple melody, then he slowly reveals his skills as he builds a dynamic, multi-layered composition that is anything but pedestrian. The audience loves being let in on this inside joke.

I Will is the kind of album that really engages the listener. If you spend the time to really listen, you will be rewarded on multiple levels by the magical pianist's incredible inventiveness and joy.

 

Saxophone Titan Joe Lovano Creates Magic with the Marcin Wasilewski Trio on "Homage"

Joe Lovano w/ Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz and Michal Miskiewicz; Homage; ECM

There is no denying that saxophonist Joe Lovano is one of this era's giants on his instrument. On his latest release Homage from ECM released on April 25, 2025, we find Lovano's titan tenor brilliantly matched with the Polish trio of pianist Marcin Wasilewski that includes bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskjewicz. My most recent exposure to this anticipatory trio was on the late Tomasz Stanko's album September Night released in 2024. As their work with Stanko, this trio is a remarkably intuitive unit that meshes so well with Lovano's extemporaneously fluid approach to this music . Consequently the music has a unified feel  that makes this release just a joy to listen to.

Homage, the title song, was written by Lovano as an homage to ECM's founder Manfred Eicher for saxophonist's appearance at the celebration of Eicher's 80th birthday in Hamburg, Germany in 2023. Lovano has a special feeling for the music that Eicher has so steadfastly produced since the early seventies. The song is an acknowledgment of the excellence that the body of work created and the appreciation for how it influenced him and so many other artists over the decades. 

The album was recorded in the Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey when the group  had a residency at the Village Vanguard in New York during the autumn of 2023. This wasn't the first time the group played together or recorded, as they also released Artic Rift  back in 2020.

Joe Lovano with Marcin Wailweski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz and Michal Miskjewicz. 

The opener is a composition by Polish violinist Zbgniew Seifert titled "Love in the Garden." The song was originally released on his Man of the Light from 1977 and had a distinctive poignancy with Seifert's emotionally charged violin playing this ballad over  drone-like organ work by Jasper Van't Hof. The artist, who unfortunately died from cancer, at the age of thirty-two,  was dedicated to bringing the music of John Coltrane into the world of jazz violin. The song was purportedly dedicated to Coltrane's pianist McCoy Tyner. Seifert's Polish heritage and his connection to trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, who he played with in 1968, make this music so vitally important to Wasilewski and his trio.

On Lovano and the trio's just over four minute interpretation of this music, it is  quite apparent that the music never loses any of Seifert's intended poignancy. Wasilewski's piano delicately opens the music before Lovano's tenor is heard briefly presenting the melody. His rubato treatment of the lines resonate with emotional commitment and simple beauty. Wasilewski's facile, light touch, and glorious embellishments enchant, as Kurkiewicz's bass and Miskjewicz's cymbal work provide subtle accompaniment.  As sensitive and endearing a take on this beautiful music as I have heard.

"Golden Horn" is a Lovano composition that takes a more modal approach. Here the trio is committed to creating a repeating framework as the armature on to which the group creates extemporaneous musical improvisational excursions for just over ten minutes. Lovano opens with some percussive accents from what sounds like shells, as Miskjewicz's trap and cymbal work set the tone. Kurkiewicz's ostinato bass line is mimicked by Wasilewski's repeating piano line, before Lovano's husky horn enters here. Joe's tenor is free, fluid and exploratory. His sound is mellow at times, deliberate and thoughtful, and yet he changes the pace of his playing in a split second, blowing a gush of notes that flow out of his horn like a cascade of free thought covering the listener. Wasilewski's piano is equally revelatory. His lines are swift and unpredictable, rippling, ascending and descending in bursts that shower you, as Miskjewicz's deft cymbal work adds another element to the feel. Lovano returns with shells before he adds the sinewy sound of his tárogató, a Hungarian woodwind instrument, that just adds a more exotic feel to the mix. The music feels so organic, a musical testament to just how simpatico these musicians are, as the group fades into a calming coda. Splendid! 

The title cut "Homage" finds Lovano and Wasilewski in a free mode. The two develop lines that seem to be released from the ether in the moment. There is some probing piano, tárogató , and tenor solos that spur interaction of the musicians, all intuitively responding to each other. Kurkiewicz has a short feature where his plucky bass is given a chance to express on a solo demonstrating his own free thinking. Lovano's higher-pitched instrument is often the  instigator that spurs  Wasilewski to respond in kind. Miskjewicz's facile drum skills produce a percussive answer to the magical interaction.

"Giving Thanks" is a two-plus-minute meditation of sorts. Lovano's large sounding tenor is featured solo here, as he musically offers thanks. There are no fireworks here, simply a heartfelt, reverent outflow of this man's feelings, brilliantly played on an instrument he has made another extension of his soul. 

"This Side-Catville" is another Lovano composition that is probably the most "in-the -moment" of the songs on this album. Lovano's overblown tenor sets the tone as Wasilewski and the trio respond in a truly reactive way. Wasilewski explained this in the notes- “It was a spontaneous choice – no discussion about how or what to play. We just went for it, and the music unfolded naturally.” Listening to the way music can be created like this is a treat. No preconceived notions, just going with the flow, pure creativity at its finest. The music bubbles with a home grown essence that cannot be repeated, so rather then explain this, just enjoy and be happy it was preserved for us all to hear.

The closing piece  is another Lovano piece titled "Projection" and opens with a clashing cymbal or is it a gong? The changing rhythmic patterns on bells, rims, cymbals are continued like a exploration in sounds, tones and timbres. A peaceful two minute rhythmic excursion.

Saxophonist Owen Broder and Quartet Dazzle at 1905 Jazz Club

Owen Broder at the 1905 Jazz Club

The multi-reed player Owen Broder is a new name to me. I was fortunate to get to see this musician and his quartet Friday April 11, 2025 at his first set show at the 1905 Jazz Club in Portland. Broder is a talented musician whose creativity bubbles up with modernity with each note he plays. But his respect for the tradition and those who blazed the path of this music before him becomes apparent when you witness his mastery and the reverence with which he plays his instrument.

Broder is a saxophonist/composer/educator with multiple skills on clarinet, baritone and soprano saxophones, and his main instrument, the alto saxophone. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and received his baccalaureate at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and his master's at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC. My personal unfamiliarity with this man's work in no way reflects on the well-received acclaim this artist has received for his previous work. He is a sought after section player in large-ensembles and has performed as a member of many prestigious orchestras including the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evan's Project, Miho Hazama's Orchestra and Anat Cohen's Grammy Nominated Tentet, to name a few.

Broder's own work as a leader includes his American Roots Project: Heritage from 2018, which Downbeat's Bobby Reed called it "A transcendent work of art."  His Cowboys and Frenchmen Quintet, which fellow JJA member and Downbeat critic Howard  wrote  “The ensemble is smart, cohesive, ... using virtuosic skills and rhythmic power to walk the line between irony and earnestness, with listenability as high a priority as group creativity.” His 2022 album Johnny Hodges: front and Center Vol 1, received multiple critical acclaim. Broder is  a respected educator that works as the Director of Jazz Studies at Reed College and as as an adjunct professor at Portland State and Pacific Universities.

Broder's esteemed career and his reputation for having a transcending sound on the alto, made his performance at the 1905 something I was looking forward to. 

Broder came with both a soprano and alto saxophone to the club, but at my set he concentrated on his burnished alto. The group were all local musicians that played with confidence and poise. Broder introduced the pianist Kerry Politzer on piano, Bill Athens on bass and Machado Mijiga on drums. Broder made it a point to explain to the receptive audience that tonight's music would be drawn predominantly from local Portland-based composers who he felt deserved attention. 

The music opened with a tune composed by local drummer/composer Rivah Ross. Ross's "Dare to Hope" is a driving piece of music that she released on her debut album of the same name in 2024. The music features a repeating main line that features roiling drum work by Mijiga supported by Athens anchored bass lines. It allows Broder's probing, yet silky alto, some creative space to stretch out and explore over the top. Politzer's piano featured repeating, percussive chord lines that had a Tyner-like influence to them. These like-minded musicians had developed a connection that only comes from familiarity and respect.

The remaining set included five additional Portland based compositions. One  from the dynamic drummer Machado Mijiga (whose title I missed); "Channeling" from local pianist/educator Todd Marston from his album Integer from 2022, which to me had a Bad Plus feel to it; the slinky, ethereal  "Venus" from inventive local guitar icon Dan Balmer, from his 2006 album Thanksgiving; one from arranger/saxophonist/composer Jessika Smith, a local educator whose music is originally composed to be played by a big band and claims Buddy Rich as one of her inspirations; and one from the local legend pianist/drummer/educator George Colligan's "Waiting for Solitude" which is a progressive piece from his brilliant 2013 release The Endless Mysteries. 

Despite the diversity of the music, the group showed familiarity and facility navigating the selections with poise, enthusiasm, and inspiration. Broder's skill is top notch, with liquid lines that pour out of his horn with purpose, creativity and tonal beauty. His mastery of tone was especially impressive when the group tackled the only composition that was not composed by a Portlander. On the Quincy Jones composition "Midnight Sun Will Never Set," Broder's horn was such a delight. His sound was rich, resonant and silky, and one couldn't help but compare the way he played with his cherished alto master predecessors like Desmond, Woods and  Johnny Hodges, whom Broder used for the inspiration of his fabulous album  Johnny Hodges: front and Center Vol 1 from 2022.

Let's not take anything away from Broder's compadres. Bill Athens provided some nice probing solos and anchored the rhythm throughout. Mijiga's trap and cymbal work provided powerful drive, but he also intuitively added subtle accenting to the music creating a textural base upon which his bandmates could rely. Politzer's piano work was rhythmically dynamic, with Shearing-like block chording alternating with graceful embellishments, trills and arpeggios that had a Errol Garner-like feel. Broder was the architect in control of this splendid evening of music. He is a calm driving force with thoughtful purpose in his approach. His liquid, tonal beauty flows like honey out of his horn at times, but he can also play incisively and with impressive facility. 

It will be a big loss for the music lovers of Portland when this talent leaves the area and relocates to the Washington DC area in the near future as he announced to the crowd. Portland's loss will be DC's gain and we wish him our sincerest best wishes for his continued success. 

John Ellis and his Quintet take their "Heroes" seriously.

John Ellis: Heroes: Blue Room Music

The talented multi-woodwind artist John Ellis originally hails from North Carolina.  He is a much sought after musician with over one hundred and fifty album credits as a sideman to his name. Besides his work as a leader, his horn work has often been heard in the orchestra of Darcy James Argue, and on projects with Kendrick Scott, Helen Sung, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Charlie Hunter, John Patitucci and Sting to name just a few. 

Ellis studied in New Orleans in the 1990s with the pianist Ellis Marsalis and worked with drummer Brian Blade and trumpeter Nicholas Payton while studying there. The NOLA sound is a important aspect of his unique musical voice on the saxophone. Now based in both New York and New Orleans, Ellis's last recording as a leader was his 2023 release, Bizet: Carmen in Jazz, a wonderful album inspired by the music of Georges Bizet. Ellis's album was named one of Notes on Jazz's Best of Jazz for 2023 for its skillful execution of using jazz and some New Orleans influences to bring Bizet's opera into a new light with vivacity and reverence.

Ellis's latest project is titled Heroes, released in March of this year on Blue Room Music. Despite being a first call musician whose work has been predominantly in large ensembles, Ellis has always had a special connection to the classic jazz quintet format, two horns, in this case trumpet and tenor saxophone, and a piano along with bass and drums. On this outing, Ellis enlisted the expressive pianist Gary Versace, and a long time collaborator and superb bassist Reuben Rogers, both of who were on his Bizet album. The group is rounded out with the trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, a fiery horn player that is also part of the star ensemble SF Jazz Collective, and the sought after traps master Kush Abadey, who also works frequently with Ethan Iverson and Melissa Aldana.

With this exceptionally talented group, Ellis presents eight compositions on Heroes whose themes are derived from people-mentors, friends, family or inspirations- who have had an impact on Ellis's life. The unifying factor that makes this album so rewarding is the empathetic playing that these five gentlemen find in expressing Ellis's music so decisively and with passion. The interplay is so  intuitive as to make the whole of this band so much more as a unit than as the individual parts. There are notable individual performances on this album to be appreciated, but the cohesiveness of this group and the subtle direction of the leader is the magic potion here. 

"Slingshot" is a reharmonizing of the chords of pianist Ron Miller's "Small Feats," a mentor/teacher to Michael Rodriguez while he was at  University of Miami. Miller's song was in turn a take on Coltrane's "Giant Steps." Here Ellis's brand offers some beautiful synchronized trumpet/tenor playing and a stellar piano solo by Versace.

"Beautiful Day" is a song that borrows from the theme to Fred Rogers old show Mister Roger's Neighborhood, a favorite of Ellis. There is joy in this song and you got to love the booming bass work of Rogers as he prances through this one. Ellis's tenor solo is deep-throated and reminiscent of some of Sonny Rollins' work. Abadey has his turn to add his own percussive acuity to the mix.

"El Cid" is a cinematic feast that features Rodriguez's clarion trumpet. The music recalls the movie of the same name that featured Charlton Heston as the Castilian knight Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar who grappled with Christian and Muslim armies. The music transports the listener to the medieval majesty of the period.

"Fort Worth" is an Ellis tip of the hat to two Texans of influence, Ornette Coleman and Dewey Redman. The music has that jumpy, walloping attitude that brings the world of hoe-down sensitivity to this one. The two horns fluently play off each other-Versace has an inspired take here- and Abadey's drum work shows his  skillful percussive play off these lines.  I am sure these guys enjoyed playing this one.

"Three Jewels" brings sensitivity and some contemplation to the music. This could be inspired by some of Coltrane's more meditative pieces. There is some probing, beautifully resonating bass lines by Rogers as Rodriguez soars majestically on the first solo. Ellis's deep-throated tenor navigates the shifting and turning line with expressiveness and aplomb. Versace's accompaniment is subtle and on point, and Rogers' solo is facile and inventive.

The album continues with "Color Wheels," a modal piece that has a circular feel and features telepathic trumpet/saxophone synchronous playing. There is a sense of reverence to this music that seems to emote from the way these guys play on this one. Ellis is particularly fluid and expressive. Versace 's piano is delicate and warm. The music is purportedly inspired from Bill Evans' "Blue in Green." Clearly  a musical Hero for many.

"Linus and the Lyre" takes its theme from Greek mythology. Linus of Thebes was a notable musician, poet and teacher who was assigned to teach music and letters to young Hercules, son of deity Zeus and his mortal mother Alcmene. The legend has Linus berating and beating a young Hercules so severely for his unscholarly behavior, that Hercules in a rage took a Lyre and beat Linus to death. The music opens with a syncopated bass line before the two horns spell out the gorgeous melody line. Ellis plays a compassionate tenor solo that ebbs and flows with grace and style, one of his most expressive on the album. Rodriguez follows with his own more staccato, searching trumpet solo. Gary Versace's piano unfolds with a emotionally strong solo that dances as Abeday's set work accentuates the music with a percussive delight. The drummer's talent is featured in front of the last section as the two horns, piano and bass fade in a synchronous coda.

"Other Saints" has a distinct NOLA feel, accentuated with a Caribbean vibe that Reuben, who originally hails from St Thomas, carries off so well on his bass. It's hard not to claim some influence from Sonny Rollins's "St. Thomas" or from other island inspired classics. There are plenty of heroes that could apply to this song. As you metaphorically follow this cheerful group as they make their way down a boisterous and gay Bourbon street, there is no denying that the music makes you want to move your feet and puts a smile on your face. 

Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm Showers You with "Grit & Grace" and Love

Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm: Grit & Grace- Sunnyside Records

Being on the bottom is not always the best place to find yourself, especially in a pile -up that can often happen in a rambunctious football game or a school yard ruckus. Generally, being on the bottom has its disadvantages, except for when you're a bottom master like Jennifer Wharton, a master of the bass trombone. Jennifer Wharton is the exception. 

Wharton is a talented trombonist who specializes in playing the bottom. Having mastered the deep, burnished brass sound of her instrument has served her well. Her deep toned instrument can be heard in a variety of settings, from in the brass section of a classical orchestra, to the pit orchestra of a Broadway musical, to offering comedic relief in the studio music of commercials,  to the brass section of jazz orchestras like D'Arcy James Argue's Secret Society, the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Band and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra to name just a few. 

Wharton started her own band, Bonegasm, in 2019 and her latest release         Grit & Grace was released in late 2023 on Sunnyside records. There is no doubt that when it comes to grit and grace- a quality that Forbes magazine once decreed a requirement that women must have to thrive and strive in the business world- this woman has it in spades! And let's face it, as much as music can be an art, surviving as a professional musician is a business.

Wharton's four trombone group, aptly titled Bonegasm-you think this woman likes her instrument- includes her husband John Fedchock, himself a master of the trombone and a prolific leader/composer, ace trombonists Alan Ferber and Nate Mayland, pianist Michael Eckroth, bassist Evan Gregor, drummer Don Peretz and percussionist Samuel Torres. 

Don Peretz , Evan Gregor, John Fedchock, Jennifer Wharton, Alan Ferber, Nate Mayland, Michael Eckroth (photo credit unknown)

Wharton took the Forbes challenge to heart. She decided to commission all but four of the songs on this album from other successful woman composer/conductors. She includes three of her own compositions. "Be Normal," an agitated piece that Fedchock arranged as a birthday gift and is a reference to her own frenetic energy. "Mama's Alright"  a tribute that Wharton penned for the trailblazing trombonist Melba Liston, and one of her earliest compositions "Virtual Reality,"  a  wining piece that has some great ensemble work.

Australian composer/conductor Vanessa Perica wrote "Our Darkest Hour," a dirge-like piece of music that somberly expresses concern over the political turmoil we experienced back in 2020. With somber moans and wails  by Wharton and some nice work by Ferber, this one is even more relevant in today's chaotic climate.

"Norhala" was penned by composer conductor Miho Hazama and uses a fantasy novel "The Metal Monster" as it's source of inspiration. Here the section wail in synchronous cadence. There is a ominous metallic, mechanical feel to this one  with an effective solo by Mayland and a potent drum feature at the coda by Peretz.

"Uncertainty" was beautifully written by Columbia born pianist/composer Carolina Calvache, well known for her trombone pieces. The percussive effects by Torres stand out here setting the tone, as Fedchock's trombone offers a moving solo. The four trombone section work is a beautifully controlled synchronous marvel and Gregor's offers a buoyant bass solo. The music is a joy.

Trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman wrote the Brazilian influenced  "Menina Sozinha" which fittingly translates to "girl on her own." This one features solos by Wharton and the pianist Eckroth.

Nadje Noorhuis is an Australian born trumpeter/composer whose "Coop's Condiments," is a funky shuffle that features Wharton on lead vocals and the band backing her up with their call and responses. The song is a homage to a Creole restaurant in New Orleans and features a plucky bass solo by Gregor. They certainly had fun with this one.

"La Bruja" is a traditional Mexican folk song that was played in the film about Frida Kahlo. The music is arranged by Wharton, played with gusto by Fedchock and also features some nice piano solo work by Eckroth.

The only song on the list that was not written by a woman is saxophonist Dick Oatts "Anita."  Wharton arranged this one for the record and is played like a beautiful waltz, with solos by trombonist Mayland and Eckroth. 

If you love a trombone ensemble like I do. One that revels in the textures, emotionally evoking and depth of sound that one of music's most expressive instruments can produce in the right hands, then you will certainly enjoy Jennifer Wharton and her Bonegasm's Grid & Grace  as they shower you with some great music and some love.

Death of the Voice of America Without a Proper Eulogy

The Voice of America building, Monday, June 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)


The Voice of America is an International broadcasting media network that was founded February 1, 1942. It was primarily used as a means to deliver uncensored anti-propaganda information to an international audience, particularly during World War II, where the Axis countries suppressed free press and disseminated misinformation. During the cold war and beyond, the United States continued to broadcast radio, music and television programming in as much as forty-eight languages, particularly aimed at peoples who lived under communist regimes or exploitive autonomous rulers. While the aims of the broadcasts were purportedly a boost to the promulgation of free speech and free thinking, there is no doubt that the V of A was consider, by some, to be a soft power tool for the United States to present our culture, education and arts in a favorable light and hopefully promote democratic principals. You find yourself on either side of the motives behind why these broadcasts were provided. One thing seems to be true, most people found the free programing an intellectual lifesaver, a welcome portal into an otherwise unavailable world of opposing thought. An alternative world of arts, music, education and culture that they may have never been aware.

On March 15, 2025, an executive order from President Donald Trump ordered the closing and discontinuation of news and other regular programming. It was a rather abrupt change and overnight almost all of the 1300 journalists, administrators, and managers were put on leave. The V of A has been one of the only sources of news, music, education and art programming for people in underdeveloped or restricted countries for over its eighty-three years.

Some may say that the continuation of the mission of the V of A is outdated, a remnant of a world where communications were less sophisticated, where anyone with a digital radio, a cell phone or a television can today receive an almost unlimited amount of news from multiple sources without ever needing to rely on the V of A broadcast anymore. Many people in the third world do not have the luxury of possessing or having access to these devices. Radios are relatively cheap links to these people and the services were provided in multiple languages. Do the myriad of bloggers,  digital reporters, newswire services  et al provide translations in as many languages as V of A did?  This chainsaw evisceration of the V of A has left a gapping hole in the flow of truthful information being sent out to those people who have relied upon the V of A. It is likely that this hole will be filled by another broadcaster. A broadcaster who will try to win over new fans of their own particular version of the truth. Easy to guess who they may be and what their messaged programming might sound like.  

But why is a jazz journalist interested in such an occurrence? Another journalist that I read and respect, Richard Williams, wrote a short post today about the shut down of of V of A (link to Richard's post here). He mentioned he couldn't recall listening to the V of A since the '60s, but nonetheless remembers how much his exposure to the V of A broadcast of the show Jazz Hour with Willis Conover meant to him.

Photo of Willis Conover from Wikipedia (photo credit unknown)

Williams lives in England and it on Conover's show where he first heard Miles Davis's "All Blues" from Kind of Blue and Gil Evans's " La Nevada" from his seminal Out of the Cool record. He calls them "...still the richest and most compelling extended pieces of music I know." What more do we need to hear about how important this broadcasting has been for Williams and countless others. And that's just from a jazz music point of view. 

I just hope the brainiacs in charge realize that their impulsive actions do not help this country and in fact most likely to cede influence in the world. It was a special thing to have a voice reaching out to other people, in their own language, and allowing them to see some of our openness warts and all.  Soft power or not it was a service that served us well, celebrating and sharing our art, our music and our culture proudly and it will be missed. 

A New Piano Voice from Italy: Giulio Gentile : Dream's Museum

Giulio Gentile with Pietro Pancella and Michele Santoleri- Dream's Museum- Auand records

The Italian pianist Giulio Gentile is a new name to me. Gentile is from Pescara, a coastal town along the Adriatic. It is in central Italy halfway between Ravena to the north and Bari to the south. Gentile has won several important awards throughout Italy and Europe, and he is rightfully starting to get attention beyond. His association as a duet with the supple vocalist Emanuella Di Benedetto produced a delightful and ethereal release in 2019 titled There is No Place Like Home,       where Gentile provided the music and Di Benedetto provided the lyrics and vocalizations. We hope to hear more from this interesting duo in the future. 

Gentile's sympatico relationship with his trio bandmates-double bassist Pietro Pancella and drummer Michele Santoleri- was first recorded on their 2022 album titled Insight, also on Auand. Having briefly listened to these two melodic and creative albums, its no wonder to expect anything but more exciting music from this fertile pianist and his bandmates on his latest Dream's Museum, released on March 7, 2025, and it doesn't disappoint.

Giulio Gentile (photo credit unknown)

The album took a year to develop after it's debut album Insight, as the trio tried to explore different sounds and approaches to the music without varying too far from what they felt was their essence. Gentile says " ...this album has a wider range of colours, sounds, and rhythmic approaches, compared to the previous one." Thematically, the album is centered on the creative aspects that dreams have on the artist, in this case Gentile.

The music has a sense of being melodically driven in a contemporary pianistic way, but like some of jazz's best piano trios, the group is not rhythmically stuck, often introducing unexcepted dynamism and elasticity to their themes. The trio  uses traditional instrumental sounds- double bass, drums and piano- and add contrast by introducing unusual sounds like a Glockenspiel to great affect.

Giulio Gentile Trio (photo credit unknown)

The opening song "Dream's Gate" has a gorgeous opening from Gentile with a classical feel before it shifts dramatically, rhythmically, as Pancella's bass booms with authority and Santoleri's drum work is explosive. There is a freedom in their playing that seems unrestricted by what Gentile has laid down on his score and it is invigorating to hear them let loose and really get into it.

There are nine Gentile compositions ranging from just over five minutes to just over seven and one half minutes, and they all have  appropriate ethereal character. "In Her Eyes" is a waltz-like feel to it. The trio varies the pace keeping the music unpredictable and they keep you wondering what might be next. There are parts that seem majestic before the trio settles back into the original pace. The listener, like we the dreamer, follows an unmarked path that leads us through the musical miasma to unknown places until we are awakened at the coda.

Other songs include "Guardians of Awakening," a shifting rhythm that features some powerful bass lines by Pancella. The bassist  has a second sense of how to accentuate Gentile's music at just the right time. The music overflows with improvisational bravado.

"Life Finds A Way" introduces the bell-like chimes of Santoleri's Glockenspiel, adding  a gentle tonal color to this one. Gentile's piano is fluid with a driven momentum that creates it's own splendor. Gentile's staccato piano lines match Santoleri's chime-work to create a synchronous line of varying colors that really stand out.

"Ancestral Roots" has a hymnal sound to it, tender, searching and emotional. . Pancella's double bass resounds with a burnished tone that is strong and impressive.

"Hopscotch," revives Santoleri's  use of the chime-like sound of the Glockenspiel to the mix. Gentile's piano work is probing. Like a sleepwalker in a dream, he is traveling, discovering and trying to make sense of the constantly changing terrain. The pianist creates a vortex of ideas that all swirl and then hopscotch forward, as they navigate the suppressed reality.

"Subconscious"  is a state of awareness in the mind that often challenges our sense of what we are seeing and this awareness is not available when fully conscious. Gentile tickles the piano keys, subtly teasing the subdued  mood as if  not awaken the trance. The trio are intuitively aligned in creating this mental state of suspension. Gentile's repeated piano lines accompanied by Pancella's driving bass and Santorleri's roiling drums end the piece like an attempt to shake oneself out of the stupor.

"L'Abisso."  the Abyss, a deep and gaping emptiness, could be Gentile's metaphor for being in a dark creative hole. The music has a somberness to it and perhaps that is what he and his trio are trying to relate.

The final composition is titled "Join the Dots."  The music has a jagged line that evokes to me a sleepwalker trying to navigate himself on a foreign terrain  When your dreaming, you may not be able to "join the dots" of what you have just experienced in a dream state and make sense of it, to use it as creative inspiration. If you are able to recall your subconscious travels, you may like Thomas Edison, jot the waking thoughts down immediately and 'join the dots" that the creative side of your mind is trying to reveal to you. Inspiration through the subconscious has often been a trail for further creativity. Gentile seems to be one who can tap that mysterious resource. 

"The Wicked Crew" from Perceptions Trio Shows Promise

Perceptions Trio: The Wicked Crew

Making modern improvised music is a constantly evolving work process. Experimenting, adding and rejecting concepts, honing creative skills in ways that add to, or at times, cull and refine the possibilities. Current trends often involve the creative use of electronics and effects to expand the palette of possible colorations available to the musician in the process of creating new music. When you start off with this concept and you intend to enhance the music for the listener's pleasure, you had better come through when they invest their time with you. 

Along comes a  group, Perceptions Trio,  that was formed in Basel, Switzerland in 2019 and released their debut album The Wicked Crew on February 14, 2025. The trio is made up of French saxophonist Charley Rose, the Swiss guitarist Silvan Joray and the Brazilian drummer Paulo Almeida. The trio is a bass-less, piano-less group that adds electronic synths and effects to expand the sound possibilities that the saxophone of Rose and the guitar of Joray can employ, as lead instruments, to make the sound fuller, tonally diverse, and more textured. Drummer Almeida is intuitive and adds his own percussive colors deftly to the mix with sensitivity and a solid sense of rhythm. These guys seem to be promising, with some very interesting ideas being presented on this album, but in some of their offerings they seem to be still in the gestation period of their development.

Silvan Jory, Charlie Rose and Paulo Almeida (photo credit unknown)

Saxophonist Rose hails from outside of Paris . He has played with pianist Benoît Delbecq's Multiplexers since 2018 and is also a leader of his own trio since 2016. Rose has admitted to being inspired by boundary crossing composers like Stravinsky and Prokofiev. He has roots in rock as well as traditional and free jazz.

Guitarist Joray is from Switzerland, but now resides in Brooklyn, NY. where he has added an American flavor to his inventive European style of electric guitar. He has played in festivals and concerts across Europe, Scandinavia and Africa. Joray has studied with guitar master Wolfgang Muthspiel, who has expanded the guitarist's sonic concepts and encouraged him to compose of his own music.

Drummer Almeida has brought his own sense of Afro-Brazilian-inflected rhythms to the group's music. He has played with diverse modern artists like progressive oud playing vocalist Dhafer Youseff, percussionist and vibes player Jorge Rossy, and Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, as well his work with guitarist Muthspiel. He is also an educator at Jazzcampus University in Basel.

The Wicked Crew  includes ten compositions three written by Rose, three written by Joray and two written by Almeida along with two improvised compositions by the trio. The opening number, Rose's "Radio Goose Bumps," has elements of fusion in the synth and pedal effects the wired guitar and sax that these players use to create an otherworldly scene. The music is tight, rhythmically and melodically interesting and there is certainly enough proficiency on display.

Joray's "Ubarto," one of my personal favorites, takes a softer approach, with an  ballad-like feel and some nuanced colorations from Joray's sensitive guitar work complimented by Rose's fluttering, electronically modulated, voice-like saxophone and Almeida's muted drum and cymbal work. This one is atmospheric, at times eerie, and it touches the listener viscerally.

"Perceptions" is another thoughtful, almost spiritual-like Joray offering worth checking out. The guitar leads with a gentle strumming, metronomic-like  musical armature upon which Rose's mournfully sounding saxophone adds an emotional, wandering-like melody,  accented by a skillful use of drum and cymbal accents by Almeida. These guys are at their best conjuring up a sonically rich meditative hymn that swells with hope and promise.

The group  includes two improvisational pieces, "Andromeda" and "Nebulosa," that both seem to be in-the-moment, unstructured, atmospheric, free-association type vamps. Interesting, but not particularly my cup of tea.

The cover composition "The Wicked Crew" is a nothing special, synth and drum  driven vamp that  frankly looses me in its electronica splendor. As a feature for Almeida's drum work, his rhythmic prowess shines through.

Almeida's "Lit Candles" is another aural landscape that features a variety of percussive colors, as Jory and Rose play opposite each other in counterpoint.

"Sombra" is another composition by the drummer Almeida. Shifting rhythmically, after some initial wandering, Almeida is given a brief drum feature before Joray on guitar and Rose on sax offer brief comments.

Rose's "Flashlights and Sewer Explorations" is perhaps the group's inside joke. The music is somewhat directionless. Rose plays sensitively before Joray's guitar takes on prog rock inspired sound and Almeida's drum work becomes appropriately explosive, but to what purpose. Ascending and descending and bringing the listener to a dead end. This music feels somewhat self-serving, and after taking a ride with them that leads nowhere, you hear the group laugh at the end as if to say "How cool was that?"

"Peaceful Departure" is the final of Joray's compositions on this album. He is clearly the most promising composer of the three. The music effortlessly captures the listener's attention because the music has a sonic story to tell. The three seem to be well suited to play this calming, melodically rich music. Rose's ability to find his most emotionally connecting saxophone work is on display, and Jorya's guitar skills prove deft. Almeida's drum work is beautifully understated and complimentary. Another song that demonstrates what Perception Trio is capable of and shows these guys should be kept 

Dave Potter and Retro Groove 2 : Modernizing the Music of the Seventies and Eighties

Dave Potter & Retro Groove

The Atlanta based drummer Dave Potter has made a name for himself as a part of  the rhythm sections of the vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, saxophonist Greg Tardy, pianist Eric Reed and the pianist Marcus Roberts. Originally from North Carolina, Potter studied his trade at Florida State University, where he received a masters degree after turning down an offer to attend prestigious Julliard School of Music to continue his education under the tutelage of Roberts, who is on the faculty at Florida. 

I met Dave when I lived in Atlanta for several years and had a chance to see him perform up close at jazz impresario Sam Yi's Mason Tavern and at one of the popular jazz shows at Atlanta's High Museum. I had more than one occasion to talk with Dave about the music. Besides being a very good drummer, he is a thoughtful student of the music.

Dave Potter (photo credit unknown)

Potter has been working as a leader with his Retro Groove group for several years now. He has developed a musical simpatico with saxophonist Miguel Alvarado, one of the group's stalwarts, and their interaction shines on his latest record Retro Groove 2, which was released on February 7, 2025. 

In addition to Alvarado on tenor, Potter is joined by Angelo Versace on piano and Rob Lintin on bass. The album includes two guests, vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, who also uses Potter in his Vibes Quartet, and saxophonist Greg Tardy.

Retro Groove 2 is Potter's third release as a leader and on this one he chooses music from the late seventies and eighties as vehicles on which to add his own brand of hardbop and progressive jazz influences to modernize these often overlooked songs.

The music on this album is varied, with influences that span dance-pop, R & B, prog rock, soft Soul, and even film inspired music. I believe that some of Potter's choices were influenced by who was playing drums on the original song releases.

Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" is a dance-pop song that still can make you move your feet. Potter opens this one with an ostinato bass line by Linton before Potter's propulsive drum work and Alvarado's urgent tenor take it to another level. Abdul's original recording from 1988 and ironically used a drum machine for its rhythm section.

Whitney Houston's  1985 release ,"Saving All My Love For You,"  was originally covered by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. of Fifth Dimension fame. The ballad was composed Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin and features a great saxophone solo by session-master Tom Scott. Whitney's voice took this to another level. Potter and his team's approach provides some plucky bass work by Linton, heartfelt tenor by Alvarado and sensitive piano work by Versace. Potter's drum work is subtle and his instrumental arrangement adds a modernistic approach to this vocal centric R & B classic.

"License to Kill" is the lead song of the James Bond thriller from 1989. The music for the original movie was composed by Michael Kamen. John Barry, the usual music master behind Bond movies, was unavailable due to illness. The title song was originally to be played by Eric Clapton and Vic Flick (an English studio guitarist who cut the original guitar work for the James Bond theme), but ultimately Gladys Knight was chosen to sing the theme. The lead song was composed by fusion drummer Narada Michael Walden with Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff, so there lies the drummer connection to Potter's musical choices. Potter may have intuitively felt the drumming influence in this theme, or not, but the music is fun, the band executes it with gusto and whether you are a Bond fan or not the music grabs you and can evoke good memories.

The band covers an Isley Brothers' 1975 release "For the Love of You", a soft R & B composition that Potter and company plays in a jaunty, swinging way proving these hidden gems can be vehicles that can be fertile for improvisation.

Potter is young enough to have been influenced by  prog rock style of the Canadian group Rush and their drummer Neal Peart, a drumming legend. "Tom Sawyer"  is a song with a theme about rebellion and individualism. Released in 1981, this  prog rock anthem is opened by Potter with his own explosive drum entre, demonstrating some of his skills, and the group takes off from there. Alvarado sets out the repeating melody line on his potent tenor. Linton on bass and Potter on drums create a forceful rumble of power before Versace produces  a fluid improvisation that weaves in and out of the staccato theme. This rendition is half prog rock, half modern jazz with a special tip of the hat to Alvarado's incendiary sax solo. A powerful piece.

The pace slows, as the group tackles the soulful "Why Can't We Fall in Love" from Deniece Williams from 1979. Potter, Linton and Versace accompany guest Jason Marsalis' vibraphone on this one. The vibes have a warm, resonating sound that accentuate the emotional side of this music and Versace gives an added color to the song on his piano solo. Potter on brushes and Linton on bass give appropriately muted accompaniment. 

The hit song "Rosanna" is a 1982 release by the group Toto. It's famous for it's session drummer Jeff Porcaro's iconic "Half-Time Shuffle Groove" on the song. Potter opens with his own devoted version of Porcaro's memorable drum pattern as guest Greg Tardy's tenor sax is heard spelling out the theme's melody. The music has a joyous feel to it and the group relishes the soft shuffle that propels this one. Versace adds a bit of a honky-tonk piano part as Tardy wails.

The finale is from Michael Sembello's "Maniac" a theme from the 1983 dance movie "Flashdance." 

Potter mines some interesting creative possibilities from this potpourri of some of the less memorable music of the seventies and eighties. I am more endeared to the music of the sixties and early seventies, my era, so I guess I'm a bit prejudiced. To me, not all these songs stand the test of time as well as others. It doesn't take away from the effort that Potter and his bandmates took to modernize these compositions in a way that preserves the memories associated with these songs for those who lived with them during an important part of their lives. Under Potter's direction, Retro Groove 2 makes this  era music is enlivened, contemporized, played with verve and talent and just plain fun to listen to. I call that a success.