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.
