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Hugh Ragin Trumpet Ensemble with Clark Terry: Fanfare & Fiesta
ByOne of Ragin's best features (as leader or sideman) is his sense of perspective. While he's a busy teacher, he's also an avid student. In this case, Clark Terry has something to shareand Ragin is all ears. Apart from the crisp arranged trumpet passages (the "fanfare") and myriad improvised solos (the "fiesta"), the real highlight of Fanfare & Fiesta isironically enoughits vocals. Terry's rapid-fire scatting offers fresh contrast; and his contribution to the hilarious spoken word interchange on "Spacemen" is priceless. An excerpt:
Ragin (The Student): "Ah, Professor Jive, now that you're on Jupiter, I hear that you speak Boopiter Language."
Terry (Professor Jive): "When you Boopiter on your Jupiter, you have to make sure that you Scrupiter, because if you don't, you'll have to [long-rolled "r"] Roopiter. And of that you must be careful..." (etc.)
Enough on that subject. (Sun Ra fans will note the proximity of Saturn to Jupiter.) Fanfare & Fiesta devotes plenty of serious attention to other topics, including open tribute to the late Lester Bowie and the in-and-out tradition of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. So there's a little bit of everything, and because Ragin exercises his sense of perspective, he manages to hold it all together. Highly recommended for listeners with an ear for swinging jazz, occasional free improvisation, and moments of stark humor.
Track Listing
Finger Filibuster; Fanfare & Fiesta; Spacemen; Barnyard Scuffel Shuffel; How Strange; Harmonic Architecture; A Prayer for Lester Bowie; Emergency Exit.
Personnel
Hugh Ragin, Dontae Winslow, Omar Kabir, and James Zollar: trumpets; Jaribu Shahid: Bass; Bruce Cox: drums; Craig Taborn: piano; Clark Terry: flugelhorn and voice.
Album information
Title: Fanfare & Fiesta | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Justin Time Records