<strong>Jersey</strong>Reviews<strong>Jazz</strong>CompactViewsBy Joe LangNJJS MusicCommittee Chairhere are some new additions to <strong>the</strong> NJJSTinventory this month that should be quiteappealing to many of you.■ With <strong>the</strong> recent passings of KENNY DAVERNand TONY DENICOLA, any previously unreleasedmaterial by <strong>the</strong>m is that much more welcome, as<strong>the</strong>re is now only a finite amount of music possibleto come out. Dialogues (Arbors – 19317) findsboth of <strong>the</strong>se wonderful musicians in <strong>the</strong> companyof Ken Peplowski on tenor sax and clarinet, HowardAlden and James Chirillo on guitars and banjos, andNicki Parrott on bass. The ten-song program is full ofhighlights from all of <strong>the</strong> players, and seems a lotshorter than its hour-plus length. Good things seemnever to last long enough. The songs are “If DreamsCome True,” “The Diner,” “I Can’t Believe That You’reIn Love with Me,” “Comes Love,” “Should I,”“Sometimes I’m Happy,” “High <strong>Society</strong>,” “CrazyRhythm,” “Nobody Else But Me” and “MuskratSamba,” a samba take on you-know-what. Ken andKenny are wonderfully compatible, with <strong>the</strong>ircontrasting sounds easily identifiable, and equallyappealing. Alden and Chirillo also complement eac<strong>hot</strong>her perfectly. This is especially evident on “NobodyElse But Me” where Kenny and Ken sit out. NickiParrott and Tony DeNicola lay down as strong andsteady a rhythmic foundation as anyone could want.It is our good fortune that <strong>the</strong>se players got toge<strong>the</strong>rfor this most enjoyable session.■ PHIL BODNER participated on hundreds ofrecording sessions on many different reedinstruments, but was rarely recorded as a leader.The Clarinet Virtuosity of Phil Bodner: OnceMore with Feeling (Arbors – 19347) findsBodner on his primary instrument in a variety ofsettings. It is terrific that his considerable jazz chopsare given a place in <strong>the</strong> spotlight, a place where heshould have been more often. These recordingswere taken from private tapes made by Bodner atvarious appearances during <strong>the</strong> 1960s and 1970s.The players accompanying Bodner include pianistsHank Jones and Dick Hyman, who also plays organon four tracks; guitarists Gene Bertoncini, JamieColpitts, Al Caiola and Vinny Bell; bassists DaveYoung, Milt Hinton and Robert Kreiner; drummersButch Miles, Charlie Goguen, Bobby Rosengarden,Ron Traxler and Jimmy Young; and bass clarinetistRon Odich. Over 19 selections, his star continues toshine brightly as a bastion of good taste andversatility in <strong>the</strong> mainstream tradition of jazz. This isjust plain good listening music.■ BUCKY AND JOHN PIZZARELLI have beenmaking fine music toge<strong>the</strong>r for a long time. ManyNJJS members will remember seeing <strong>the</strong> Pizzarellisplaying for early <strong><strong>Jazz</strong>fest</strong>s at Waterloo Village. A lotof time has passed since those days when John wasknown as Bucky’s kid. Since <strong>the</strong>n John has growninto a star performer in his own right. The twoPizzarellis continue to perform toge<strong>the</strong>r as often aspossible, usually with Bucky augmenting John’s trioor quartet. Occasionally, however, <strong>the</strong>y get down tobasics and perform as a guitar duo, like <strong>the</strong>y do onGenerations (Arbors – 19345). It is not surprisingthat <strong>the</strong>y exhibit a natural empathy, one that investseach of <strong>the</strong> 15 selections with a very special feeling.Both are superb technicians and consistentlycreative jazz players. While it’s <strong>the</strong> speed selectionsthat seem to elicit <strong>the</strong> most enthusiastic responsewhen <strong>the</strong>y appear in front of an audience, it is on<strong>the</strong> slower selections where <strong>the</strong> depth of <strong>the</strong>ircompatibility is most evident. For enthusiasts of jazzguitar, this album will be a most welcome additionto your CD libraries.■ It seems that whenever I put on an album bycornetist ED POLCER, a smile quickly crosses myface, and my spirits are lifted. He plays happy music.Lionel, Red and Bunny (BlewZ Manor – 108)contains 16 tracks with a variety of musicians,including pianists Mark Shane, Ken Ascher andNorman Simmons; vibist John Cocuzzi; reedmen DanLevinson, Allan Vaché, Kenny Hing and KenPeplowski; bassists Mike Wea<strong>the</strong>rly, Vince Giordano,Reggie Johnson, Frank Tate and Joel Forbes; anddrummers Kevin Dorn, Ali Jackson, Joe Ascione andDanny D’Imperio. An added pleasure is <strong>the</strong>vocalizing of Judy Kurtz. The tunes include <strong>the</strong> likesof “King Porter Stomp,” “Softly, As in a MorningSunrise,” “Bernie’s Tune,” “Don’t Take Your Love fromMe,” “Blue Skies” and “Almost Like Being in Love.”There is not a dull moment on this album, and all of<strong>the</strong> players know how to swing. This is one to puton, sit back, relax and enjoy!■ Pianist LARRY HAM is one of <strong>the</strong> best-keptsecrets on <strong>the</strong> <strong>New</strong> York jazz scene. He playsaround constantly, but his name recognition is justnot what it should be. Hopefully, this will start tochange with <strong>the</strong> release of his first album as aleader Carousel (West Village Music). Mixing fivefamiliar tunes, “Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise,”“What a Difference a Day Made,” “All God’s ChillunGot Rhythm,“ “Easy Living” and “My FunnyValentine,” with seven originals, Ham has created aprogram that is well-paced and consistentlyinteresting. When a jazz player improvises, he iscreating new tunes on <strong>the</strong> spot to fill out <strong>the</strong> basicselection. It is natural that such a musician is oftenable to create appealing new pieces that can beused as a basis for fur<strong>the</strong>r improvisationalexploration. The original material that Ham includeshere should find favor with o<strong>the</strong>rs seeking newsongs to add to <strong>the</strong>ir musical quivers. Aiding Ham onthis tuneful journey are Lee Hudson on bass andTom Melito on drums. Ham has hit a home run onhis initial at bat, and he should be adding more runsfor a long time.■ There are many musicians who reside in <strong>New</strong><strong>Jersey</strong>, play primarily in <strong>the</strong> metro <strong>New</strong> York area,and do not develop <strong>the</strong> kind of recognition that <strong>the</strong>irtalents truly deserve. Although both bassist RICKCRANE and pianist BOB HIMMELBERGER havedone some traveling, <strong>the</strong>y find most of <strong>the</strong>ir gigs arepretty close to home. Having been students toge<strong>the</strong>rin <strong>the</strong> jazz program at William Paterson University in<strong>the</strong> late 1970s, Crane and Himmelberger developed afriendship and musical compatibility that hasendured through <strong>the</strong> years. For his first album as aleader, Crane opted to perform in tandem withHimmelberger, and <strong>the</strong> result is Duality (Craniac –0001). It doesn’t take much listening to recognizethat <strong>the</strong>se cats are on <strong>the</strong> same page. Throughout<strong>the</strong> twelve selections, “No Blues,” “Joshua,” “Preludeto a Kiss,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” “Up JumpedSpring,” “I Wish I Knew,” “Alone Toge<strong>the</strong>r,”“Footprints,” “Just Squeeze Me,” “You Don’t KnowWhat Love Is” and “Oleo,” <strong>the</strong> interplay between<strong>the</strong>m is natural and always interesting. The duoformat does not leave much margin for error, and<strong>the</strong>se gentlemen stay well within bounds at all times.■ Finally, I want to reprint a review that appeared in<strong>the</strong> February 2000 issue of <strong>Jersey</strong> <strong>Jazz</strong>. It is aboutan album by Marlene VerPlanck that was originallyissued on DRG, went out of print, and has just beenre-released on Audiophile.<strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong>’s own MARLENE VERPLANCK has anew album, and it just might be <strong>the</strong> best one yet,which is saying a lot. Not only does MyImpetuous Heart (Audiophile–334) have <strong>the</strong>impeccable vocal presence of VerPlanck, but sheis accompanied by Hank Jones on piano, GaryMazzaroppi on bass and Joe Cocuzzo on drums,with special guest appearances by MarianMcPartland, George Shearing and Bucky Pizzarelli.What more could you ask for? How about 18songs including <strong>the</strong> wonderful new title tune withlyrics by Leon Nock and music by hubby BillyVerPlanck that opens <strong>the</strong> album. A few tracks latershe sings “Call Me Irresponsible,” but she is neverthat, treating each song like a close friend whodeserves <strong>the</strong> best. It is hard to pick out highlightswhen <strong>the</strong> lode is so rich, but I must admitpartiality to “All in Fun,” helped in no smallmeasure by Shearing’s pianistic support, “HowLittle We Know,” and “We’ll Be Toge<strong>the</strong>r Again,”special songs sung by a special singer at <strong>the</strong> topof her game.The above CDs and many o<strong>the</strong>r selections are available from<strong>the</strong> NJJS. Please send $16 for each single disk, $26 for eachdouble disk and add $2 for your first selection and $1 foreach additional CD to cover shipping costs. Make checkspayable to “NJJS” and mail with your order to: Fred McIntosh,293 Orangeberg Road, Old Tappan, NJ 07675. To pay by VISAor MasterCard please provide your card number andexpiration date and your name as it appears on <strong>the</strong> card.Please include a phone number where you can be reachedin case we need to contact you concerning your order.We now have available a listing of all CDs in <strong>the</strong> NJJS musicinventory. We can ei<strong>the</strong>r mail a hard copy inventory to you,or e-mail it to you as an attachment in Excel format. Toobtain a copy please contact Andi Tyson, 110 HaywoodAvenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854, or e-mail Andi atATyson1999@aol.com.JJ38April 2007 <strong>Jersey</strong><strong>Jazz</strong>
Trumpets <strong>Jazz</strong> Club & Restaurant6 Depot SquareMontclair, <strong>New</strong> <strong>Jersey</strong> 07042<strong>Jazz</strong> 6 Nights a Week! and Continental Cuisine.Ed J<strong>off</strong>e directsNJ City Univ BandSUNDAY 4/1Kelvin Quince (piano)TUESDAY 4/3Susan Van ZoerenQuartetWEDNESDAY 4/4Peter Furlan/Bergen Comm. CollegeTHURSDAY 4/5Buster WilliamsQuartetFRIDAY 4/6 &SATURDAY 4/7Enrico Granafei(hands-free chromaticharmonica/guitar)TUESDAY 4/10Dick MeldonianBig BandWEDNESDAY 4/11Ted Cursonhosts Jam SessionTHURSDAY 4/12April Calendar of EventsRick Crane & BobHimmelbergerFRIDAY 4/13T.K. BlueSATURDAY 4/14Gil “Bebop” BensonSUNDAY 4/15Michael Lemma/Bergen AcademiesMONDAY 4/16Sarah Jane Cion/Audrey Betsy WellerTUESDAY 4/17The Ellington BandWEDNESDAY 4/18Enrico’s Birthday JamTHURSDAY 4/19Nikki ArmstrongFRIDAY 4/20Rio ClementeSATURDAY 4/212 PM NJJS MemberMeeting6 PM The Stein Bro<strong>the</strong>rsSUNDAY 4/22Prof. Sam Ayala &Passaic County Comm.College Music DeptTUESDAY 4/24Diane Moser’sComposers’Big BandWEDNESDAY 4/25Betty Liste hostsSingers’ JamTHURSDAY 4/26Joe Morello TrioFRIDAY 4/27Melvin Davis(organ)SATURDAY 4/28Blue WaveFundraiser4–7 PMSUNDAY 4/29Tuesdays at Trumpets — no music charge/$5 minimum 6:30 – 10:30 PMThese are partial listings.Visit www.trumpetsjazz.com for our complete schedule.Tel 973-744-2600 • Fax 973-744-7735 • www.trumpetsjazz.com« Trumpets is closed on Monday evenings except for special events. »« Sunday & Weekday sets 7:30-11:30 PM « Friday & Saturday sets 8:30 PM, 10:30 PM & MIDNIGHT unless o<strong>the</strong>rwise noted. »« Italian/Continental cuisine, full service restaurant and bar open to 1:00 AM Friday & Saturday; to 12 MIDNIGHT weekdays. »« Kitchen open to 12 MIDNIGHT Friday & Saturday; to 11:00 PM weekdays »April 2007 <strong>Jersey</strong><strong>Jazz</strong> 39
Change language