Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles (BFM Jazz)
John Daversa
Released May 6, 2016
Grammy Nominee for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 2017
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mzIWb06EvF_SB7qPVXYw0qX3uIdxOJ62M
Spotify:
About:
A while ago, a good friend of mine asked me to write a “Daversafied” arrangement of a classic Beatles tune. I thought to myself, “wow, what a monumental challenge!” How do you take such classic material, remain reverent to the original intention and spirit of The Beatles, create a fresh vision with new twists and turns–and make it identifiably your own,–“Daversafy” it? The challenge intrigued me so much I created a full-length album for the big band. Let’s go!
I’ve since delved deep into the immensely rich Beatles catalog and fallen in love–as so many music lovers have. With Kaleidoscope Eyes, I’ve “reimagined” the music for the JD Big Band personalities and expanded the instrumentation to include tuba, bassoon, oboe, alto flute, piano, string section, a chorus of singers, and more—truly an expanded Large Jazz Ensemble! Vocalist Renee Olstead and spoken word artist, Katisse Buckingham also joins us on the album.
Track Listing:
1. Good Day Sunshine (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 5:14
2. And I Love Her (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 4:40
3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 7:00
4. Here Comes the Sun (George Harrison) 9:34
5. Do You Want to Know a Secret (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 4:45
6. I Saw Her Standing There (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 10:35
7. Michelle (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 9:40
8. Kaleidoscope Eyes Medley: With a Little Help From My Friends/Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da/Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/I Am the Walrus (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 6:46
9. Good Day Sunshine (Reprise) (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 2:08
Personnel:
John Daversa: arranger, conductor, EVI (electronic valve instrument) (4), trumpet (2, 4, 6, 7, 8), vocals (6)
Reneé Olstead: vocals (1, 5)
Saxes & Woodwinds:
Jeff Driskill: flute, piccolo, soprano saxophone (4)
Phil O’Connor: clarinet (2), alto saxophone (7)
Tom Peterson: clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone (1)
Phil Feather: flute, oboe (3), tenor saxophone
Katisse Buckingham: flutes, tenor saxophone (6), vocals (6)
Bob Carr: bassoon (3), bass clarinet (2, 4), baritone saxophone
Nancy Newman: saxophone
Trombones:
Bill Booth (3)
Alex Iles: bass trombone
Paul Young (2)
George Thatcher
Tuba:
Craig Gosnell: tuba
Trumpets & Flugelhorns:
Ron King
Bijon Watson
Glenda Smith: piccolo trumpet (3)
Rob Schaer
Jay DaVersa
Daniel Rosenboom
Aaron Smith
Rhythm section:
Tommy King: keyboards, piano (3, 5)
Andrew Synowiec: guitar (3)
Zane Carney: chorus, guitar (3)
Nick Mancini: vibraphone
Jerry Watts, Jr.: bass
Gene Coye: drums (8)
Joe Martone: bongos (5), percussion
Violins:
Susan Chatman
Peter Kent (concertmaster)
Gina Kronstadt
Songa Lee
Jordan Slocum
Yi-Huan Zhao
Violas:
Matt Nabours
Kate Reddish
Jimbo Ross
Choir:
Genevieve Artadi
Zane Carney
Carol Huston
Kate Reid
Ann Sheridan
Greg Whipple
Celli:
Peggy Baldwin (3)
Giovanna Clayton
Paula Hochhalter
Liza Liu
Judy Kang
Additional recording:
Chad Bernstein: trombone
Derek Ganong: flugelhorn, trumpet
Tyler Giroux: valve trombone
Christine Guter: voice
Sharon Jackson: violin
Guy Manning: tuba
Jesus Mato: trumpet
Javier Nero: trombone
Chris Palowich: bass trombone
Kathleen Robertson: violin
Nika Ross: cello
Will Wulfeck: trombone
Recorded live January 6, 2015 – January 7, 2015, at Alva’s Showroom, San Pedro, CA, by Chris Brooke & Alex Chaloff
Additional Engineers: Kevin Dukes, Jeremy Fox, Gary Lindsay, Bill Longo, Chris Palowich
Produced by Chris Brooke, John Daversa and Tim Weston
Mixed by Tim Weston
Edited by Chris Brooke
Cover Photo: Ricky Chavez
Review:
Does the world need another collection of Beatles covers? The same argument could be had about any of the dozens of standards that regularly, sometimes ad nauseam, crop up on new releases. But redundancy is validated each time an Amy Winehouse takes on “Body and Soul” or Avicii reinvents “Feeling Good,” and those instances serve as wakeup calls to re-appreciate the originals. There should be little doubt that the works of John Lennon and Paul McCartney—and occasionally George Harrison—need to be included in the vaguely defined category of “standards.” On the live recording, Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles, the trumpeter, composer, band leader, John Daversa, shows us why that’s the case.
Daversa is still a relative newcomer to the jazz scene though he has an impressive resume including performances at the Montreal Jazz and Montreux Festivals. The Los Angeles based musician released his debut, Junkwagon (BFM Jazz, 2011) with little fanfare despite the appeal of the album. He’s led smaller groups and several big bands but his Progressive Big Band is a massive ensemble with forty members, not including a six-person choir and a dozen guest musicians. On Kaleidoscope Eyes he allows the Beatles compositions to unfold into improvisation, developing and shifting momentum and finally interpreting most of the pieces as fresh and contemporary.
“Good Day Sunshine” storms out of the gate, big and brassy with a fine tenor solo from Tom Peterson. Reneé Olstead, primarily know as an actress, smokes the piece with a voice that was made for real jazz singing. The pace slows on the instrumental, “And I Love Her” with Daversa taking the opportunity for an expressive solo while “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” weaves in and out of a carnival atmosphere. “Here Comes the Sun” begins on an appropriately pastoral note but turn abstract as it progresses. Olstead returns on “Do You Want to Know a Secret” channeling Eartha Kitt in her sensuous reading of the song. The one instance of Kaleidoscope Eyes faltering is on the ten-plus minute “I Saw Her Standing There,” where the parts are greater than the sum. With flat-out aggressive swing, rap, free improvisation and more, the wheels come off the track a bit. Daversa manages to regroup for the rousing finale, “Kaleidoscope Eyes Medley: With a Little Help From My Friends/Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da/Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/I Am the Walrus”
Recording live at the classy Alva’s Showroom, a relatively small space in a strip mall in San Pedro, California, would presumably be a logistics issue with this small army of musicians. Despite that challenge, Daversa and his Progressive Big Band do a commendable job of bringing new life to the nearly fifty year old Lennon/McCartney tunes. He has taken a chance with several compositions that are not as frequently covered. Daversa’s playing—as well as all of his soloists—is high caliber and exuberant and Reneé Olstead’s two distinct vocals are eye-openers. An ambitious, and largely successful, outing from an artist who deserves more recognition.
Karl Ackermann (All About Jazz)
