One of the best of the Goodman tributes
Steve Emerine | Tucson, AZ United States | 04/25/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like many other jazz clarinetists, Allan Vache has now recorded a tribute to the king of the instrument, Benny Goodman. Unlike some of the other admirers, Vache played with Goodman and has thoroughly studied his techniques. I saw this up close when I had the privilege of producing a Goodman tribute Allan played in Tucson two months before he recorded this. "With Benny in Mind" is one of the top two or three salutes to Goodman I've ever heard. Vache has made a real effort to portray the master while also showing his own wonderful styling. Pianist John Sherman and the young vibraphone sensation, Christian Tamburr, have done the same on the parts made famous by Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton. Drummer Ed Metz Jr., bassist Phil Flanagan and guitarist Vincent Corrao provide world-class backup. With close to 70 minutes of music and 14 titles, this is a great CD to join the fine Arbors catalog."
Tip of the hat to BG, but playing it their own way
Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 06/21/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Despite this CD's title, the nature of its personnel, and the repertory being played, this is not just another Benny Goodman ripoff. First of all, Alan Vache is not a Goodman clone but has a sound and style all his own. On slow ballads in particular (MOONGLOW, BODY AND SOUL, GOODBYE) he plays with a tremolo on any note held longer than a single beat, and plays with a heavier sound than BG. On the barnburners (AIR MAIL SPECIAL, SEVEN COME ELEVEN, SLIPPED DISC) the tempo is always a tad slower than on the original recordings, which makes for a different flavor. None of the musicians joining Vache here is a straight copyist (Christian Tamborin - vibes; Vincent Corrao - gtr; John Sheridan - piano; Phil Flanagan - bass; Ed Metz, Jr. - drums), though they all are very much aware of the original BG discs and the music produced on them. They all have "Benny in Mind," but have the sense (and talent) not to be mere "repeater pencils" (to quote Pres). BG and swing fans should be delighted with this very fine CD.
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