Past Reviews Sound Advice Reviews Let's hear it for the bands/ The singers are in good hands |
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As the Gershwins' song "Strike Up the Band" suggested, "Let the drums roll out/ Let the trumpet call/ While the people shout/ 'Strike up the band!'" So, here are striking recordings with the blast of a big, beautiful band. The size of the instrumental group providing the pow varies from "small but mighty" to sumptuously huge.
Oh, the pizzazz of the powerful sound of the all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra can be invigorating, like a brisk walk on a cold winter's day or the musical equivalent of one of those energy-boosted drinks. Although their newest release doesn't feature the biggest or smallest incarnation of their congregation, compared to other recordings and live performances, the potency of their punch can be on a grand scale. The players here total nine of the DIVA dynamos. That's how many were involved when they worked with entertainer Maurice Hines in his autobiographical show in 2013 at Arena Stage in Washington DC and elsewhere; it played Off-Broadway at New World Stages and there was a version done at 54 Below (where I caught it), for example. The mix of songs, dances and anecdotes was titled Tappin' Thru Life. There had been no cast album released and Maurice Hines passed away in 2023. But the DIVA musicians recently recorded 18 tracks, starting with a red-hot overture and they brought in original participants, brothers John and Leo Manzari, singers and dancers who first crossed paths with Maurice Hines (and his singing/dancing brother Gregory) when the Manzaris were adolescents. The project is being called "a posthumous cast album," titled A Celebration of Maurice Hines: Tappin' Thru Life. Two top-drawer singers not otherwise associated with the revue were tapped to take on many of the songs: Ann Hampton Callaway and Clint Holmes. The muscular style of the orchestra is also toned down to great effect for ballads, best evidenced when accompanying Ann Hampton Callaway's warm voice and luxurious rendition of My Fair Lady's "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" wherein she replaces the third person pronouns with "you" and "your," making the confession more intimate by addressing the missed person directly. Pianist Jackie Warren's playing here is marvelously sensitive. Ann Hampton Callaway gets a second sampling from this classic Broadway musical, blithely upbeat with "Get Me to the Church on Time." For the Hines connections, one needs to know his history. For example, he starred in a tour of Guys and Dolls (which spawned a cast album) and so we hear "I've Never Been in Love Before," which John suavely sails through. Also included from that score is "Luck Be a Lady," which is in the overture and Clint Holmes gets a chance to sing (and swing) it well, but the arrangement strongly echoes Frank Sinatra's, as it's in a cluster of four numbers closely associated with Ol' Blue Eyes. Maurice replaced his brother on Broadway in the Duke Ellington revue Sophisticated Ladies, represented by "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," heard at the start of the overture and done with aplomb by both brothers. This is a rewarding recording full of talent, tapping, and tunes that have stood the test of time. But those songs were already old and had been performed by many artists before Maurice Hines got his chance at them, and some were included because they were associated with singers he admired. One of those was Nat King Cole, so a few Cole-connected items are prominently present. (Hines recorded only two solo CDs, one being a tribute to Nat.) Even if the set list had included one of the numbers he had introduced, how many non-diehard Broadway mavens know the flop sequel Bring Back Birdie? So, if someone were just listening to the album without knowledge of the man's career, there'd be no obvious evidence of the theme. None of the stage revue's spoken material is heard, except two quick sentences that drop the name "Hines," within Leo's performance of "Ballin' the Jack," to state the titles of two TV shows on which Maurice and Gregory had presented the number. For posterity, Maurice's spoken voice makes a cameo appearance and some might recognize it when he's heard very tersely introducing the Manzaris and saying thanks and goodnight to the audience. DIVA's musical director and drummer, Sherrie Maricle, had taken on those jobs for various Maurice Hines projects. They began working together in 1990. She offers some personal reflections about him in the CD's packaging, which also had production photos from Tappin' Thru Life and pictures of the Hines gentlemen.
Take some old-school rock hits, reinterpreted through old-school high-octane big band sensibilities. Stir in nostalgia, jazz flavorings, and spicy jazz, to taste. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Let cool. Top with whipped frenzy. That's the recipe for the concoction called Basie Rocks! by the orchestra retaining the name of the iconic big band leader Count Basie (who died back in 1984) as the musicians soar, led by trumpeter Scotty Barnhart who cooked up the arrangements that let the band and guests rebrand classic songs. Vocalist Deborah Silver, game and gleeful, digs in with solos and three duets with starry partners. Talk about a BIG production: The 19 basic Basie players have two musicians added for the recording, and 11 other instrumentalists (each appearing on just one track) get notable spotlight, one of whom is also the producer–veteran drummer Steve Jordan, currently a touring member of The Rolling Stones. An item from that group's '60s output, "Paint It, Black," opens the album with a sizzling Latin beat, setting up an expectation for the unexpected. It's a party! The re-casting might be the best of two worlds for some pop fans: non-sentimental nostalgia that sounds new and different. Leader Barnhart shares arrangement duties with three others: Kris Johnson, Andy Farber, and John Clayton. Mr. Clayton and producer Jordan step in as bassist and drummer on "Tainted Love." It's one of the duets, and the oldie is elevated by the participation of the masterful, versatile jazz singer Kurt Elling, already known for daringly taking on challenges in exploring numerous genres, as chameleon. Five trombonists are in the brassy group and the other two vocal duet partners are also trombonists. Trombone Shorty, peppy Miss Silver, and background vocalists share singing duties on "Joy to the World" (the 1971 pop hit, not the Christmas perennial, although her collaboration with the Basie band last year was for a three-track EP of holiday treats). This selection is especially loose and fun, mixing in phrases in numerous languages similar in meaning to "joy to the world," including "hakuna matata," briefly recalling The Lion King. Trombonist Wycliffe Jordon both playing trombone and singing in his gutsy voice with sassy Silver, the ode to "Old Time Rock & Roll" at least equally evokes old time jazz; another guest player, Herlin Riley, multi-tasks on washboard, tambourine, and snare drum. The female vocalist's earlier releases include albums of standards and a country-themed set and, to my ears, keeps improving, but some flash and brash qualities still linger. She is competent and energized, with a big voice, but it's still a tall order to follow in the footsteps of giants (the original artists, the mega-hits, the big-name big band). Determined not to be a sound-alike copycat on Basie Rocks! lets this entertainer's approach win points for charging ahead with a challenge and making it a comfort zone. She's feisty. The CD comes with a booklet that includes photos of the recording sessions. A page naming those who deserve thanks (and for what) is penned by songstress Silver; another four pages were written by the bandleader detailing descriptions of the approaches to the material, with historical facts, as well as heavy praise for the participants. In a mention of the work of arranger John Clayton on "Baby, I Love Your Way," he tells us that when its writer and initial performer, Peter Frampton, heard their treatment, he was thrilled and came aboard to do the guitar solo himself. This interpretation is his favorite of the many covers. With a smaller band, Deborah Silver brings her boundless energy to Manhattan's jazz club, Birdland, on July 20.
Seemingly answering the question that is the title of his adventurous instrumental group's recording, What Is?, Russ Anixter describes his Hippie Big Band this way on his website: "We are a jazz band that plays rock music. OK, we also can play straight-ahead jazz, funk, pretty ballads, and freeform improvisations. Sometimes within the same arrangement." Indeed, there is variety galore here, with old pop (and other) songs rethought and revamped, as different from their original forms as they are from each other. With 11 tracks, the 11-member group brings more than 11 flavors, as Mr. Anixter's arrangements do more than just switch course on the musical trips. There are a couple of mash-ups, five men in the core group play more than one instrument, and a couple of guest musicians sit in along the way, too. If you don't venture into the variety on What Is? already in tune with tunes circa 1960s and '70s, that shouldn't be a barrier, but the history as reference points might add appreciation for the creativity. And while you might not have listened to some version of most of the oldies recently/regularly/ever, you may well have listened to some of the players if you're a fan of musical theatre productions in this era because the majority of the folks in the Hippie Band also grace the orchestras of Broadway musicals. "Heaven on Their Minds" from Jesus Christ Superstar earns the sole "show tune alert" as the score was intended for the theatre and has found a home there. (Mr. Anixter was introduced to it in his youth via the best-selling concept recording he found in his grandfather's record collection.) Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris" is pensive and atmospheric; it's combined with the attractive "Freedom Jazz Dance." Other picks include three appealing numbers that were in the repertoire of The Grateful Dead, a deep cut from the discography of The Beatles ("She Said, She Said"), and the Little Feat treat "Dixie Chicken." Instrumentation includes saxes, trombones, trumpet, clarinet, flutes, guitar, bass, and percussion/drums. While there is some searing brass blasting, there are mellow moments as well. There's lots of soloing for the three sax men, but orchestrator Anixter works in many spotlight moments for his skillful individuals. There are four long tracks that go on for close to, or more than, seven minutes and the briefest entry here, the TV theme from "The Green Hornet" composed by Billy May, runs a little less than four minutes. The album title of What Is? is inspired, we assume, by its kinetic first track, from the songbook of Tower of Power: "What Is Hip?" No need to make that query a mystery: The Hippie Big Band is hip. |
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THE DIVA ORCHESTRA
THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA,
RUSS ANIXTER'S HIPPIE BIG BAND