For the Moment (MCG Jazz)
Bob Mintzer Big Band
Released May 16, 2012
Grammy Nominee for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 2013
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=qlnE-cb26lY&list=OLAK5uy_lwaIbiBluXZTRFgxHbtaPPMTM4K4HY0ZQ
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3wG9E3txa7w0L5BBxlDp6W?si=pvtPWmqrQjWyO7ZeffoOGg
About:
Nine musical works for big band that reflect the sights, sounds, and feel of the Brazil. Some tunes are directly from the Brazilian songbook (Corcovado by Tom Jobim, Berimbau by Baden Powell, and two newer tunes by Chico Pinheiro, a rising star on the Brazilian scene), others merely make reference to rhythmical grooves from various regions of the country. This becomes the springboard for what Bob Mintzer loves to do: write for big band in a way that establishes a focus and then breaks free of stylization.
Track Listing:
1. Aha (Bob Mintzer) 6:42
2. Um Filme (Chico Pinheiro) 5:16
3. Irrequieto (Chico Pinheiro) 6:32
4. For All We Know (J. Fred Coots / Sam Lewis) 6:27
5. Berimbau (Vinícius de Moraes / Baden Powell) 5:58
6. For the Moment (Bob Mintzer) 6:12
7. Recife (Bob Mintzer) 6:11
8. Corcovado (Antônio Carlos Jobim) 6:30
9. Ouro Preto (Bob Mintzer) 4:36
Personnel:
Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone, flute
Chico Pinheiro: vocals, guitar
Lawrence Feldman: alto saxohpone, flute
Mike Tomaro: alto saxophone, flute
Bob Malach: tenor saxophone, clarinet
Frank Basile: baritone saxophone, clarinet
Steve Hawk: trumpet
Tony Kadleck: trumpet
James Moore: trumpet
Scott Wendholt: trumpet
Jay Ashby: trombone
Michael Davis: trombone
Keith O’Quinn: trombone
Max Seigel: bass trombone
Russell Ferrante: piano, keyboards
Marty Ashby: guitar
Lincoln Goines: bass
Peter Erskine: Drums
Alex Acuna: percussion
Recorded live September 23 – 24, 2011, at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
Executive Producer: Marty Ashby
Associate Producer: Renée Govanucci
Recording Engineer: Jay Ashby
Mixing Engineer: Rich Breen
Mastering Engineers: Jay Dudt, Eric Granata
Production Coordination: Eric Granata, Bill Majetic
Cover Art and Design: Jeff O’Brien Myers
Layout: Jim Manly
Review:
A love letter to Brazil, this aural travelogue blends
tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer’s compositions with tracks by Baden Powell,
Antonio Carlos Jobim and Chico Pinheiro, a São Paulo guitarist and vocalist
whose version of “Corcovado” transforms Jobim’s glittery ennui into subtle
swing.
The musicianship of all involved, including fellow Yellowjacket Russell
Ferrante on piano, makes Mintzer’s Los Angeles big band run like clockwork, and
Marty Ashby’s production is clean and even, allowing Mintzer’s varied voicings
to shine. This is a summery album, nimble and generally lighthearted. Mintzer’s
title track is a delight, setting flutes against guitar until they mesh behind
Frank Basile’s baritone saxophone and Mintzer’s own tenor. Mintzer has fun with
his arrangements.
More twisty and serious: Mintzer’s danceable, tricky “Recife,” a sharply
articulated, brassy celebration of a city in northern Brazil. The percussion of
Alex Acuña, blended with Peter Erskine’s worldly drums, keeps the track moving.
Scott Wendholt’s bright trumpet and the urgent bass of Lincoln Goines warm the
unpredictable tune.
Listen to this in a car and you miss the dynamic range. Listen to it on
headphones and the nuances shine. What comes through above all is Mintzer’s
command of contrast: Pinheiro’s “Irrequieto,” one of the hottest cuts, sets
high flutes against low saxes while hard, chorded brass mediate, paving the way
for a fluid Pinheiro guitar solo that checks and so dramatizes the tune’s
aggressiveness. The rhythm section burns behind Pinheiro’s continental cool.
That cool also rules “Um Filme,” a showcase for Pinheiro’s guileless, knowing
vocals and filigreed guitar. It’s a sneaky cut, suggesting Pinheiro deserves an
album of his own. But Pinheiro isn’t the only standout here. Bob Malach’s tenor
sax lends grit to Mintzer’s “Ouro Preto,” and Mintzer himself animates “Aha,”
the bouncy opener, as well as the title track. File this smooth album under
stimulating.
Carlo Wolff (JazzTimes)
