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John Daversa Jazz Orchestra Featuring Justin Morell: All Without Words: Variations Inspired by Loren
ByThe Brown and Parker sets seemed an attempt at making "nice music" featuring mostly familiar popular tunes, spruced up and sweetened with strings to make the sound more palatable, perhaps, to those who might not dive into a small ensemble jazz recording by Parker with Dizzy Gillespie or Clifford Brown with Richie Powell and Max Roach. That is not a knock on the Parker and Brown "strings" albums; Parker's is excellent, essential even, while Brown's is very good. But in retrospect, it still feels like those early efforts lacked a bit of meat on the bones of the more modern recordings in the "with string" style, such as trumpeter Wallace Roney's Misteriosos (Warner Brother, 1994) and Bob Belden's Black Dahlia (Blue Note, 2001).
A big chunk of that meat on the bones on All Without Words: Variation Inspired By Loren comes from guitarist Justin Morell's concept and his compositions. Daversa started the ball rolling on the project when he asked Morellhis friend and longtime musical running mateto write a large scale orchestral jazz piece. Morell came up with a paean to his nonverbal autistic son, Loren, a work that became a lush examination of the trials and tribulations and the joysof raising a special child.
Beyond the difficulties Justin Morell faced, what the music manifests, above all elsewith its full orchestra of strings and woodwinds, percussion and a choiris the pure and unconditional love that goes into challenges facing the caretaking involved with Loren.
The twelve tunes presented here are masterfully arranged. The orchestral setting never overpowers the message or sound, and Daversa's trumpet, out front, is soulful and empathic, serving as the narrator of Loren and Justin Morell's journey.
There have been great orchestral jazz albums in the past: Charlie Parker's early 1950s shot across the bow, of course, and the previously mentioned Wallace Roney and and Bob Belden discs; saxophonist Art Pepper's Winter Moon (Galaxy Records, 1981), alto saxophonist Paul Desmond's Desmond Blue (RCA Victor, 1962), and the Claus Ogerman/Michael Brecker collaboration Cityscape (Warner Brothers, 1982). All Without Words: Variations Inspired By Loren rises to that level of great artistry and beauty.
Track Listing
Loren's Theme; Searching but Never Finding; Two Steps Forward; Seeing It Again for the First Time; The Urgency of Every Moment; Invisible Things; Walking in Our Own Footsteps/The Circle Game; The Smallest Thing; A Day Is Forever/Like Any Other; Three Roads Diverged; Learning What It Means to Be; It's Enough to Be Here, Now.
Personnel
John Daversa
trumpetJustin Morell
guitarTai Cohen
pianoDion Kerr
bassDavid Chiverton
drumsConrad Fok
pianoTroy Roberts
saxophoneMelvin Butler
saxophoneMatt Clarke
clarinetFrankie Capoferri
clarinetGabriel Beavers
bassoonMelanie Villarreal
bassoonScott Flavin
composer / conductorAmanda Quist
composer / conductorAbby Young
composer / conductorLev Garfein
violinSheena Gutierrez
violinKaren Lord-Powell
violinSteffen Zeichner
violinAshley Liberty
violinAdditional Instrumentation
Scott Flavin, orchestra conductor; Amanda Quist, choir conductor; Abby Young, concertmaster. Violin I: Abby Young; Gregory Carreno; Violin II: Svetlana Salminen; Yuhao Zhou; Orlando Forte; Katarina Nazarova; Julia Jakkel; Viola: Matt Nabours; Vishnu Ramankutty; Ross DeBardelaben; Cello: Brent Charran; Shea Kole; Tadao Ito; Bass: Brian Powell; Ethan Olaguibel; Winds: Jennifer Grim: flute; Alyssa Mena: flute, alto flute; Troy Roberts: soprano and tenor saxophone; Melvin Butler: soprano and tenor saxophone; Frankie Capoferri: clarinet, bass clarinet; Richard Todd: horn; Stan Spinola: horn; Antoni Olesik: timpani, vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba; Choir: Emily Finke: soprano; Safia Zaman: soprano; Alexandra Colaizzi: alto; Kate Reid: alto; Sidney O’Gorman: tenor; Noah Zaidspiner: tenor; Thandolwethu Mamba: bass; Dylan Melville: bass.
Album information
Title: All Without Words: Variations Inspired by Loren | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Tiger Turn
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