Alan Ferber
Released July, 2013
Grammy Nominee for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 2014
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6VIlxxPXY6pi4POugAdEP8?si=eexAxAqoQiy0459xNwLkGg
About:
There are romantic notions tied up with jazz big bands. For a certain generation, the big band is a reminder of what popular music was during their youth, reverence for the impact and excitement the music of Glenn Miller or Tommy Dorsey brought to their young ears. Unfortunately, over time, financial and logistic issues have lessened the opportunities for big bands to be heard by newer generations of jazz lovers.
Bucking this trend, trombonist/composer Alan Ferber has become one of a fresh generation of performers who have made big band writing and playing en vogue. His new recording March Sublime presents his own take on the big band tradition and advances it into the worlds of contemporary music.
Both of Ferber’s grandmothers loved big band music (one was an avid fan, and the other a vocalist with groups led by the Dorsey brothers and Gene Krupa.) Alan and his twin brother Mark continued the family tradition by performing with big bands while studying music in their teens. Later while attending UCLA, Alan was able to perform in the University big band under the leadership of legends Gerald Wilson and Garnett Brown.
After graduation, Ferber found frequent work in trombone sections of Los Angeles based big bands, including those of Louie Bellson, Les Brown and Brian Setzer. His move to New York allowed him to become a regular in large ensembles led by a variety of unique composers representing a potpourri of musical styles, most notably with John Hollenbeck, Sufjan Stevens and Esperanza Spalding.
All this is to say that Ferber has gained a lifetime of experience playing the vast canon of big band music from the originators to the most contemporary composers. His own approach is an amalgamation of these influences, from legends, innovators and peers.
Assisting in performance is an amazing array of New York’s best musical talent. The woodwinds include John O’Gallagher, Rob Wilkerson, John Ellis, Jason Rigby and Chris Cheek. The brass section features trombonists Ferber, Tim Albright, Ryan Keberle, Josh Roseman and Jennifer Wharton along with trumpeters Taylor Haskins, Scott Wendholt, David Smith, Alex Norris and Clay Jenkins. The rhythm section is composed of guitarist Anthony Wilson, keyboardist David Cook, bassist Matt Pavolka and drummer Mark Ferber.
The recording begins with the rhythmically intricate and uptempo “Kopi Luwak,” originally commissioned for the Atlantic Brass Quintet and masterfully arranged for big band with the 6-note motif bouncing throughout the sections. A lush arrangement of Björk’s “Hyper-Ballad” follows catching the full drama of the singer’s voice with the woodwinds. “Wildwood Intro” is a swelling, atmospheric overture to “Wildwood,” a well-paced, emotive piece referencing the place where Ferber married his wife near Moraga, California.
“So It Seems” is a moving composition written by saxophonist Chris Cheek, who is featured on baritone sax over the ever-evolving arrangement. “March Sublime” presents various textures through the trading of an ostinato figure weaving throughout the ensemble to striking effect. Ferber’s arrangement of the Hoagy Carmichael classic “I Get Along Without You Very Well” is a lovingly articulated version of this evergreen. Closing the set is “The Compass,” an original first written for nonet, which Ferber expanded for a dynamic and colorful big band arrangement. Ferber’s attachment to the big band music of the past and his commitment to the music’s future advancement prove to be his passions. Thus, March Sublime proves to be an intriguing collection of compositions and arrangements by this extremely talented musician.
Track Listing:
1. Kopi Luwak (Alan Ferber) 6:16
2. Hyper-Ballad (Björk) 8:17
3. Wildwood Intro (Alan Ferber) 3:49
4. Wildwood (Alan Ferber) 8:14
5. So It Seems (Chris Cheek) 9:02
6. March Sublime (Alan Ferber) 8:07
7. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Hoagy Carmichael) 7:20
8. The Compass (Alan Ferber) 9:05
Personnel:
Alan Ferber: trombone
John O Gallagher: saxophone
Rob Wilkerson: alto saxophone
John Ellis: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Jason Rigby: tenor saxophone, flute
Chris Cheek: baritone saxophone
Tim Albright: trombone
Ryan Keberle: trombone
Josh Roseman: trombone
Jennifer Wharton: bass, trombone
Taylor Haskins: trumpet
Scott Wendholt: trumpet
David Smith: trumpet
Alex Norris: trumpet
Clay Jenkins: trumpet
Anthony Wilson: guitar
David Cook: piano, keyboards
Matt Pavlova: bass
Mark Ferber: drums
Recorded May 31
– June 1, 2012 at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY
Producer: Alan Ferber
Executive Producer: Francois Zalacain
Engineer: Paul Wickliffe
Engineers: Joe Marciano, Max Ross
Review:
When you open a nice bottle of red wine, to get the
best results, it is better to set the bottle aside for some time. You let the
wine, as they say, “breathe,” allowing oxygen to bring out the hidden
flavors. Same for a big band recording like Alan Ferber’s March Sublime.
Instead of setting the disc aside, you might check with your neighbors (or
close your windows) and turn up the volume. At higher amplification, the
subtleties and nuances of the trombonist’s arrangements are revealed.
Ferber, a veteran of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and John Hollenbeck’s
large ensemble, cut his teeth playing in the big bands of Gerald
Wilson, Les Brown and Brian Setzer. His previous
release, Chamber Songs: Music for Nonet and Strings (Sunnyside, 2010)
proved that he can write more intricate music. Here he displays the same
conviction, but with a large jazz ensemble.
The eight tracks, five penned by the leader, elegantly capture the 17- piece
band and Ferber’s arrangements. The disc opens with the up-tempo and
rhythmically elaborate “Kopi Luwak,” a song named after an Indonesian
coffee bean that is harvested only after it has been pooped-out, undigested, by
monkeys. While the java might be crap, the music is a caffeinated crossroad of
modern composition and Eastern European music. Saxophonist John
O’Gallagher takes a smashingly funky solo over the disciplined big band’s
intricate playing.
Ferber reaches across eras here. He can go old school, delivering a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Hoagy Carmichael’s “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” with all the traditional dressings of a large ensemble circa Red Norvo’s Orchestra 1939, with trumpeter Scott Wendholtand pianist David Cook taking tastefully reserved solos. He can also take up an electronically modified trombone to solo on the title track. While not beholden to one sound, Ferber keeps his concepts consistent. His cover of Björk’s “Hyper-Ballad” features an ever-changing arrangement, sifting the charts and foundation of the piece, while sprinkling it with some electric keyboards, clapping and time changes.
The masterpiece here is the two tracks “Wildwood Intro” and “Wildwood.” Ferber presents a lazy, streaming blues, gorged on his and guitarist Anthony Wilson and solos. The big band offers up a trombone chorus, some big, sweeping vistas and full- bodied flavor. Waiter, another glass please.
Mark Corroto (AllAboutJazz)
