October

Album Review

Larry Chernicoff's ten originals on October form a unified suite. The music is often classical-oriented both in its use of chamber music instruments and in its emphasis on written-out arrangements. There are improvised solos along the way and these tend to be logical extensions of the written music. Chernicoff was wise to gather together some of the most versatile musicians around, including harpist Carol Emanuel, bassoonist Janet Grice, bassist John Lindberg, and Tom Varner on French horn. Since all of the musicians are well versed in both classical music and jazz, they were able to read the charts flawlessly yet give them a jazz feel and occasional short solos. With pianist Karl Berger conducting, Chernicoff (who is heard on vibes and occasionally piano) has created a memorable set of music that crosses the lines between jazz, classical, and instrumental folk music.