Album Review
Generally, when one thinks of a big band, swing suitable for dancing generally comes to mind. But James Bazen reminds us that large groups can be a vehicle for modern music. He follows in the line of similar big band leaders who used large groups to unveil modern big band music, including Gil Evans and Oliver Nelson. This is music that the musicians have to read from a chart. There's little or no room for improvisation. Despite this seeming constriction, the Bazen assemble doesn't come across uptight at all as they take on a set of standards, pop and jazz, and original material, primarily Bazen's. Bazen also wrote most of the charts. The band is joined by vocalists Patty McKay and Debbie Macfarlan, who sing on four cuts. But even here, they are not the usual girl singers which were a staple for most big bands. They, too, take a modern jazz stance in their delivery as Macfarlan does on her own "Tonight He's Mine." There is also opportunity for creative soloing. Bazen shows he is an accomplished alto sax player on such cuts as "Stranger Things," where Bennie Green, Larry Brown, Brian Litz, and Steve Larrance get in some licks on this kind of funky tune. Even a warhorse like "Summertime" gets up-to-date treatment with a Latin beat featuring Bazen, this time with advanced flute playing. The height of progressive jazz comes with the band's rendition of John Coltrane's "Syeeda's Song Flute," which faithfully captures Coltrane's complex, unconventional harmonies. "Danny the Samba Boy" starts off almost like a dirge before leaping off into a samba. The sum and substance of it all is that Bazen has put together an album that enhances the importance of big band contributions to contemporary jazz. Recommended.
