Search - Dan Siegel :: Departure

I don't know if I've ever before been as conflicted about a

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 08/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . as I am about this one.



Gulp.



Ever since I swore off smooth jazz 15 years ago after OD'ing on one too many Rippingtons discs, I've avoided this music like the plague . . .



. . . Or maybe I haven't, in all honesty. What about those 5-star reviews of Bob James, Ramsey Lewis, Harvey Mason? my evil twin reminds me. Well, they were playing, more or less, jazz, that is, swinging, improvised music.



Weren't they?



Ummm . . . sorta. At least as much as Mr. Dan Siegel here, not to mention David Sanborn's last two discs (which, my evil twin reminds me, I kinda trashed).



So what makes this music any better, from a jazz perspective, at least?



Probably nothing.



But I've been thinking. So what if it really isn't jazz? Who cares? Aren't there lots of outfits out there (some of my very favorites, I must admit) like the Claudia Quintet, Alas No Axis, Mephista, Triosk, Orchestra Dim Bridges, Nathan Michel, Pago Libre, Andy Narell, Egberto Gismonti, Rita Marcotulli, Omar Sosa, and countless others who mix all kind of weird stuff in with a genuine jazz sensibility? Who's to say someone like Dan Siegel can't mix in instrumental pop elements with jazz and produce something worth listening to?



Not me.



Then why do I feel guilty praising this music, even giving it 5 stars?



Because I really do despise 99.9% of "smooth jazz," "jazz lite," or whatever you want to call it, and this disc skates so close to that aesthetic that I'm afraid I'll lose my jazz creds, scant as they might be, if I dig it.



But what the hey.



I DO dig it.



And I don't care.



OK, I could do with a little less synth sweetening. I'm not a big fan of Brian "Bombastic" Bromberg on acoustic bass (but at least it's not that annoying snap-electric bass thing that almost seems to define this genre). The other players (Vinnie Colaiuta, drums; Bob Sheppard, saxes; Norman Brown and Grant Geissman, electric guitar, who each appear on one track, and Bil Cantos, voice, again on one track) perform admirably if not particularly daringly. Quality group interaction prevails. There aren't, however, a whole lot of killer solos.



But you know what? There's a very attractive kind of deep-delved instrumental integrity to this disc that one very seldom finds in smooth jazz. And let's face it. Brian Bromberg HAS played with authentic jazzers such as Alan Broadbent, and Bob Sheppard (sax) certainly has impeccable jazz creds, as does Vinnie Colaiuta (drums)--although, in all fairness, he's much better known as a killer fusion player.



And the leader has significant jazz roots, belying his bleached-blonde smooth-jazz aesthetic in, e.g., his (admittedly problematic) hard-bop outfit, Birds of a Feather, as well as a stint at Berkley. Playing vibraphone, melodica, organ, and Fender Rhodes as well as acoustic piano, he demonstrates a thorough understanding of a basic jazz vocabulary, a pleasantly deft improvisational approach, certainly serviceable if not revelatory, and very attractive ensemble and dialogic moves. And the melodies--they're gorgeous without being cloying.



To me, this is about as accomplished a "smooth jazz" disc as I've ever heard. If there were more music of this stature emanating from that, generally, aural wasteland, I might give it another chance.



****3/4."

Smoothjazz.com Review

Sandy Shore | Monterey, CA | 08/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an exceptionally good album from an exceptionally gifted pianist...one that should find its way into discerning Smooth Jazz fans' libraries automatically. Dan Siegel, born in Seattle, raised in Eugene and educated at the University of Oregon, is a treasure in the world of Smooth Jazz, and has been for over 25 years. His seminal 1989 release "Northern Nights" helped set the standard for the early days of this format, and DEPARTURE, his 17th solo album, could very well equal its impact. It's a marvelous collection of organic, live-in-studio performances from Dan and an all-star lineup of players, including bassist Brian Bromberg, sax man Bob Sheppard, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (who also played on "Northern Nights"), and percussionist Lenny Castro. Guitarists Norman Brown ("Street Talk") and Grant Geissman ("Shades of Gray") guest on this compelling disc; Bill Cantos supplies the enchanting vocal textures on the amazing "Across the Sea." DEPARTURE is absolutely first-rate stuff from first note to last, and I find myself hoping that this album will be a model for other Smooth Jazz signature artists in the future. The basic concept is the jazz piano trio, resulting in a clean, pure, uncluttered sound. Mr. Siegel best captures the essence of DEPARTURE when he states, "There is an honesty and purity in creating music in this fashion, and...assembling a group of some of the finest players alive makes this...a joy to be a part of." Dan, listening to your outstanding new project gives us that same feeling of joy! ~SCOTT O'BRIEN"

Hidden Gems... and beautiful Sparks... throughout this inspi

Patrick Ergas | Wellington, New Zealand | 07/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is my first exposure to a CD from Dan Siegel. Over all it is a very refreshing CD; I love contemporary Jazz Piano and i have to say this CD is an excellent production of the genre, with top notch famed artists in it performing altogether sensitively & harmoniously, really well, not a flaw anywhere. The Piece 'departure' is marvellous and has become like an instant classic in my ears. But listening to 'street talk' left me in complete awe; to me this is also one of the gems in this album; particularly, Jazz Guitarist Norman Brown featuring in there really got my attention in that he gives a class act performance with a superb and charged solo on his electric guitar... really sublime; and that instantly gave me the desire to check all of his albums. Well, furthermore so, after i read he was pushed at a very young age by his father to study really well all of Wes Montgomery's guitar technique & playing... (I recognized right away how well he had succeeded in doing so...) Norman Brown's electric guitar playing is one of a true Master; richly textured, interesting & captivating; innovative & sparkling; strong & consistent; fluid & seemingly effortless; nothing short of beautiful, solid and extraordinary, and is placed among the top of my list as for guitarists to listen to now, and i have listened to a lot of Jazz players before. N.B. now stands in my eyes as one of them who is sure to impress... But indeed, Dan Siegel has just released here a nice sounding album, fresh, relaxing and contemporary. Great Piano... I was impressed as well with his very tasteful playing on Vibes. I don't particularly favor the Piano play on track 10 though ('castles in the sand'), unoriginal... tasteless & lifeless... has no particular soul to it, surely a stereotype of many other instrumentals which really hold no lasting flavor or special identity... and will undoubtedly be left alone and unremembered. Other than that, this CD throughout is worth a pleasurable listen... even multiple ones; it is definitely listenable way more than once or twice. So... any Contemporary Jazz Lovers, even all true Jazz Addicts as a Whole on Jazz Music out there reading this review... you can confidently get this album 'departure' by Dan Siegel; it will not disappoint your ears, heart and soul. I think... you will... indisputably... surely enjoy it!!!"