Search - Mel Lewis & Jazz Orchestra :: Naturally

THE BEST BIG BAND -NATURALLY

daddyojazz | NYC | 01/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mel Lewis and The Jazz Orchestra have done a marvelous album of Thad Jones originals, sans one. Originally Thad's and Mel's band, this CD shows the tightness of the ensemble and the looseness of the soloists have not wavered one bit since the band's inception in 1966. This set recorded in 1979 is a feast for the ears. 6 tracks of all sorts of "speeds" and tempos. The opener "CHERRY JUICE" is bright and breezy. "TWO AS ONE" is pretty. Nothing else can describe this composition more aptly. "MY CENTENNIAL" a title writen for the 1976 America's BI-Centennial, which probably has the longest Mel Lewis drum solo ever recorded. Mel was never one to showboat with the drums so this was a very nice surprise.

61ST & RICH'ID is a classic Thadian waltz with flutes and things. "EASY LIVING" the only standard is played warm amd tender with a beautiful Richard Perry tenor solo. The closer is a swinging bossa nova romp called cutely "QUE PASA BOSSA" with the whole band doing latin percussion that would rival any Carnivale in Rio .



A mention of the soloists: John Marshall on trumpet,Bob Rockwell on tenor and Jim Mcneely on piano on track 1/ Track 2 has Gary Brown on bari and Earl Garner on trumpet. Dick Oats as the swinging alto solo on track 3 -as for the aforementioned Mel Lewis drum solo. On track 4 shows Bob Bowman on bass,John Mosca on the 'bone and McNeely has a 2nd solo on piano. Track 5 soloist was mentioned and on track 6 McNeely again comes in for a neat solo before the whole band does it latin "thing".



If you love big band jazz , you wont do any better than this unheareled gem of a recording."