Search - Bill Watrous, Pete Christlieb, Gary Urwin :: Kindred Spirits

No More Blues - 4.5 stars

John Tapscott | Canada | 04/24/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"That tune is not the title of the CD, but certainly could have been. For if you happen to be feeling the blues a bit these days, one listen to this fine big band recording will help to blow your blues away with power. The talented arranger Gary Urwin has an uncanny ability, like Bill Holman, to write arrangements that swing quite naturally and uplift the listener's spirits. Urwin's arrangements never lose sight of the tune's basic structure and never go too far out. Yet they also manage to avoid the obvious, and while instruments such as harp and English horn might be the kiss-of-death for many jazz arrangements, they are welcome additions on several tracks and never detract from the straight-ahead jazz feeling of the CD.



For "Kindred Spirits" Urwin had the idea to write arrangements for an all-star L.A. big band and to feature two soloists added especially for this occasion - superstar trombonist Bill Watrous and the powerful and distinctive tenor player Peter Christlieb. Watrous and Christlieb weave in and out of every arrangement making impressive and often moving solo statements and showing why they are among the finest soloists in jazz today. Watrous is featured on "Chinatown" and leads the `bones and solos on "Danny Boy". Christlieb's solo features are "Foolish Heart" and "My Ship." Other soloists in this excellent band include trumpeters Bobby Shew and Wayne Bergeron, and pianist Christian Jacob.



Every track here has much to recommend it, but some of the highlights include the swinging "Lester Leaps In"; the hard-driving "Beautiful Love"; a surprisingly up-tempo "Girl Talk"; an inventive arrangement of Miles' Davis' "E.S.P" with many intriguing voicings; the multi-tempoed "My Foolish Heart"; and the bluesy title piece.



The CD is marred only slightly by a somewhat unnatural, studio-bound recording quality. But otherwise "Kindred Spirits" is a swinging and very enjoyable big-band CD, and warmly recommended."

All Around Wonderful

Howard Wexler | White Plains, NY United States | 10/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just a wonderful CD that shows how delightful a big band can be.



I love the choice of songs, Danny Boy, Girl Talk, My Foolish Heart. And I will listen to (and usually love) anything with Bill Watrous. It may be a chiche to say someone sings on his instrument, but Watrous does.



Liner notes ignored a wonderful point on the last track, "I'll Be Seeing You". Pete Christlieb, as noted, was in Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show band for many years.



It was common knowledge that Johnny Carson's two favorite songs were "Here's That Rainy Day" and "I'll Be Seeing You". If this was a tribute to Pete's old boss, they did a great job on it."

Keeping up his high standards

James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 01/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Trombonist Bill Watrous has distinguished himself as one of the top players in jazz since his emergence as a solo artist in the early 1970s. He seems equally comfortable in any size ensemble, from quartet to big band to full orchestra. This recent session, released in 2005, was with Gary Urwin's big band, and Watrous shares the spotlight with tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb, another outstanding player. The CD is satisfying on all levels: solos, ensemble work, quality of arrangements, and choice of material. An excellent choice for anyone who enjoys contemporary big band jazz. A one-time gathering of artists like this makes one hope that, at least in the jazz idiom, the album format will not be replaced any time soon by exclusive use of one-track-at-a-time music purchases."