Album Reviews

Mark Myers – Jazz Wax September 02, 2019

Tadd Dameron: Magic Continues

Tadd Dameron's final album was The Magic Touch for Riverside Records in 1962. Dameron would die three years later. In 2017, alto saxophonist Kent Engelhardt, coordinator of jazz studies at Ohio's Youngstown State University, and Steve Enos, a trumpeter and director of jazz studies at Ohio's Cuyahoga Community College, co-formed Madd for Tadd. The 15-piece band plus a vocalist was dedicated to recreating and preserving Dameron's music. Engelhardt transcribed, edited and arranged the 10 songs that Dameron had scored for his Magic Touch album, plus five others. Then the Madd for Tadd band recorded them.

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Album Reviews

Mark Myers – Jazz Wax September 02, 2019

Tadd Dameron: Magic Continues

Tadd Dameron's final album was The Magic Touch for Riverside Records in 1962. Dameron would die three years later. In 2017, alto saxophonist Kent Engelhardt, coordinator of jazz studies at Ohio's Youngstown State University, and Steve Enos, a trumpeter and director of jazz studies at Ohio's Cuyahoga Community College, co-formed Madd for Tadd. The 15-piece band plus a vocalist was dedicated to recreating and preserving Dameron's music. Engelhardt transcribed, edited and arranged the 10 songs that Dameron had scored for his Magic Touch album, plus five others. Then the Madd for Tadd band recorded them.

The album is The Magic Continues, (Tighten Up). The musicians in Madd for Tadd are Kent Engelhardt (as, fl); David Sterner (as); Jason Kush (ts, fl); David Kana (ts); Tom Reed (bs); Steve Hawk and Joe Badaczewski (tp); Scott Belck (tp. conductor); Stephen Enos (tp, conductor); Sam Blakeslee and Chris Anderson (tb); David Brockett (Fr hrn); Phil DeGreg (p); Dave Morgan, (b); Jim Rupp (d) and Erin Keckan (voc).
What's especially delightful about the album is hearing Dameron's original arrangements with a new shine. Collectively, the group has Dameron's elegant swagger and swing, and the playing is rich with nuance, such as the warm reed-section parts. Individually, the solos also are in the spirit of Dameron's intent. In particular, DeGreg's piano playing is evocative of Dameron's poetic approach on the keyboard.

The five Dameron songs recorded here but weren't on Dameron's The Magic Touch are Good Bait (the Count Basie recording), Stay On It (Count Basie), For Europeans Only(Illinois Jacquet), My Dream (Harlan Leonard) and Half Step Down, Please (Coleman Hawkins). Album highlights include For Europeans Only; Our Delight; Half Step Down, Please; Bevan's Birthday; Swift as the Wind; Just Plain Talkin' and Stay On It.

If you love Tadd Dameron, this album is a must. The transcribed Dameron charts sound terrific in the hands of Madd for Tadd, like a 1962 Cadillac DeVille fully detailed and restored. Hats off to Engelhardt and Enos, and the entire band.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Madd for Tadd's The Magic Continues here.

You'll also find the album at Spotify.

JazzWax clips: Here's the complete album...

Here's Tadd Dameron's entire The Magic Touch...

Posted by Marc Myers at 12:05 AM | Permalink

Tags: Kent Engelhardt, Steve Enos, Tadd Dameron

Mark Myers – Jazz Wax August 2023

Kent Engelhardt & Stephen Enos: Tadd Dameron x 2

Tadd Dameron was one of the most prolific and influential composer-arrangers of the bebop era. The pianist also wrote many songs that became jazz standards, including Hot House, Our Delight, Good Bait, Lady Bird, Soultrane, Mating Call, Cool Breeze, The Scene Is Clean and many others. A fascinating jazz figure, his vast catalog of fresh and modern songs and arrangements influenced many musicians, including Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Gigi Gryce and Quincy Jones, to name a few. In the 1940s, his presence seemed to be everywhere, as discographies show. He even led a spectacular tentet in 1949 known as the Big Ten. Sadly, Dameron had a short life. He suffered several heart attacks and died of cancer in 1965 at age 48.

Over the years, tributes to Dameron have been many, most notably Dameronia in the 1980s led by Philly Joe Jones. Now, alto saxophonist Kent Engelhardt and trumpeter Stephen Enos, have released a double-album followup to their first Madd for Tadd Dameron tribute album The Magic Continues (2018). The two separate albums in the new set are Central Avenue Swing and Our Delight. Both feature the 15-piece Madd for Tadd big band that covers Dameron's early works and better-known pieces. The sound and feel of the new album is snappy and enrapturing.

As lyrical as Dameron's works were, they weren't easy to execute without sophistication and strong musical skills. There's also a special feel to Dameron's music. Covering his material must come off as assertive and bop savvy, but the execution also must have a certain sensuality and grace. Kent and Stephen's latest endeavor accomplish all of this. And the solos by one and all are superb.

Kent is Professor and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Youngstown State University in Ohio. Enos is founder of the Tri-C Jazz Studies Program at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio. Together, their passion for Dameron is tireless and extraordinary. The bounty of material here gives listeners a fine sense of Dameron's orchestral excellence, with the first album featuring lesser-known works and the second showcasing Dameron's genius for modernity.

If you're unfamiliar with Dameron, Madd for Tadd's Central Avenue Swing and Our Delight are a terrific entry point. If you know Dameron's music, this double tribute is a solid updating and will likely introduce you to works you may not have known and give you a fresh reason to re-listen to the composer-arranger's recordings and original works. Once again, Kent and Stephen (above) have blown the coals hot, reviving the Dameron flame.

Scott Yanow – LA Jazz Scene October 2023

Kent Engelhardt & Stephen Enos

Central Avenue Swing & Our Delight

(Madd For Tadd)

During the bebop era, arguably the most significant composer and arranger to emerge was Tadd Dameron (1917-65). Dameron, who was also a decent pianist, gained experience writing for big bands during the later years of the swing era including the orchestras of Harlan Leonard, Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Artie Shaw, and Billy Eckstine. By the mid-1940s he had evolved into a bop-oriented writer whose compositions included “Hot House,” “If You Could See Me Now,” and “Good Bait.” Dameron led short-term bands for club dates and record dates, recording classic performances with Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, and John Coltrane among others. Unfortunately drug problems plagued his life and he passed away from cancer when he was just 48.

Dameron was originally from Cleveland and so is the big band Madd For Tadd. Co-led by saxophonist Ken Engelhardt and trumpeter Stephen Enos, both of whom are important educators in the Cleveland area, the ensemble makes its recording debut on this double-CD. Engelhardt adapted Dameron’s early big band charts for the ensemble and arranged his later small-group works for the orchestra. His writing is very much in Dameron’s style, including the opener which is his original “Central Avenue Swing.”

Rather than just play Tadd Dameron’s greatest hits (“Hot House,” “If You Could See Me Now” and “Good Bait” are not among the 22 selections on this set), the band performs a few of Dameron’s standards and many lesser-known pieces. In fact, the first disc has ten selections that Dameron composed for Harlan Leonard’s Rockets, a top-notch if largely forgotten Kansas City swing band of the early 1940s. It is a joy to hear such numbers as “Dameron Stomp,” “A La Bridges,” and “Rock And Ride” being revived and played in such swinging fashion.

The second half of this twofer includes numbers originally recorded by, among others, Dizzy Gillespie’s big band, Blue Mitchell, and John Coltrane (in a quartet with Dameron) including “Our Delight,” “Lady Bird,” “Soultrane,” “Cool Breeze,” and “Mating Call,” ending with Dameron’s theme “The Squirrel.”

Mad About Tadd is filled with flawless ensembles and many excellent soloists including trumpeters Enos, Brad Goode, and Tim Leahy, trombonists Michael Dease and Jeff Bush, tenors Dave Kana and Mike Tomaro, and Engelhardt on alto among others. Erin Keckan does a fine job with her four vocals including “Lady Bird” which has new lyrics by Engelhardt.

Bebop fans are strongly advised to get a copy of Central Avenue Swing & Our Delight, a highly enjoyable release which is available from www.maddfortadd.com and serves as a superior tribute to the great Tadd Dameron.

Jack Bowers – All About Jazz Review September 2023

The masterworks on this second edition of Madd for Tadd are presented on two discs, one of which bears the name of one of composer/pianist Tadd Dameron's classic themes, "Our Delight." Oddly, the other is named for the only non-Dameronian item on the menu, "Central Avenue Swing," written by saxophonist and Dameron chronicler Kent Engelhardt who adapted the composer's tasteful charts for a big band and co-leads the ensemble with trumpeter Steve Enos.

Although he is most closely associated with the emerging bop movement of the early to late-1940s and beyond, Dameron (who was born in 1917) also penned charts for swing bands including Kansas City's Harlan Leonard and His Rockets, nine of which are presented on "Central Avenue Swing," with one other, "Heaven's Doors Are Open Wide," written for Miles Davis. "Our Delight" is more bop- centered, with themes composed for Fats Navarro, John Coltrane, Billy Eckstine, Blue Mitchell and others. Engelhardt, who has set for himself the daunting task of transcribing, notating and editing all of Dameron's music, assembled an all-star group of musicians for this recording, and they have no problem assimilating and enriching Engelhardt's admirable arrangements. In fact, they do it so well that the entire narrative calls to mind a pleasurable trip down memory lane.

While Dameron's propensity to swing is widely recognized, his extraordinary gift for melody is every inch as salient and impressive. Even today, several of his compositions are performed or recorded often by jazz groups of every shape and temper, as they have become (well- deserved) jazz standards. "Our Delight" is certainly one, as are "Lady Bird," "Cool Breeze," "Hot House," "If You Could See Me Now" and "Good Bait"—and there are others that deserve no less than honorable mention including "The Squirrel" and four written for John Coltrane: "Handy Andy," "Soultrane," "Mating Call" and "Super Jet," all of which are included here.

The ensemble gives each of them a thrilling ride, the kind that Dameron would no doubt have appreciated. Besides working flawlessly as a team, every member of the band is a perceptive soloist in his own right, which makes every ad lib a pleasure to hear. Trumpeter Brad Goode, who has veered toward the avant-garde in recent years, reverts to hard-swinging form (good news indeed) and is featured extensively on "Central Avenue Swing" with fellow trumpeter Tim Leahey, tenor saxophonists Dave Kana and Mike Tomaro (great to hear from him again), trombonists Jeff Bush and Michael Dease, baritone Tom Reed (who has the floor to himself on "My Dream") and pianist Phil DeGreg.

Kana, Leahey, Tomaro and Dease return on "Our Delight," teaming with trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, alto John Orsini, trombonist Chris Anderson, pianist Jackie Warren, bassist Dave Morgan and drummer par excellence Jim Rupp (who anchors the band's outstanding rhythm section). Engelhardt solos on "Lady Bird," "Soultrane" and "The Squirrel," while Enos sits in for Blue Mitchell on "A Blue Time" and (muted) "Smooth as the Wind," on which he is featured.

The ensemble moves seamlessly from bop to swing, nailing it on "Central Avenue Swing" (which sounds like it could have been written by Dameron himself) and such early-career gems as "Dameron Stomp," "400 Swing," "Keep Rockin,'" "Society Steps Out" and "Rock and Ride." "Our Delight" is no less pleasing, as Dameron's memorable themes are wonderfully reimagined by Engelhardt, Enos and their talented teammates. There are four vocals, two on each disc. Erin Keckan acquits herself well on "Heaven's Doors," "Dig It," "Lady Bird" and "I Think I'll Go Away." The last was scored for sextet, as were "Lady Bird`" and "The Squirrel."

If you were not Madd for Tadd before encountering this recording, it may well change your mind while serving as an excellent introduction to one of the bop era's leading composers, the great Tadd Dameron.

Track Listing

Disc 1—Central Avenue Swing; Dameron Stomp; A La Bridges; 400 Swing; Heaven’s Doors Are Open Wide; Dig It; Keep Rockin’; Society Steps Out; My Dream; Rock and Ride; Take ‘Um. Disc 2—Our Delight; Lady Bird; Soultrane; Cool Breeze; A Blue Time; Handy Andy (Gnid); I Think I’ll Go Away; Smooth as the Wind; Mating Call; Super Jet; The Squirrel.

Jim Hynes - Making A Scene Review August 2023

Madd for Tadd (Kent Engelhardt & Stephen Enos)

Central Avenue Swing and Our Delight (2 CD set)

Tighten Up

The first order of business is to explain the various heading here. Madd for Tadd is a 15-piece big band co-led by saxophonist Kent Engelhardt and trumpeter Stephen Enos, devoted to the music of legendary jazz composer and pianist Tadd Dameron. The two separate CDs, 22 orchestrations in all, focus on two aspects of Dameron’s career. Central Avenue Swing features music Dameron wrote in 1940 during the big band era for the Kansas City bandleader Harlan Leonard and His Rockets, as well as his 1949 composition “Heaven’s Doors Are Open Wide” and Engelhardt’s title track. Our Delight comprises Dameron’s more famous small combo tunes that featured major soloists in the bebop era of the early fifties, these centered on Billy Eskstine, John Coltrane, and Blue Mitchell. The latter proved especially difficult as while Dameron preferred writing for large ensembles, circumstances and trends led him to smaller ones in the ‘50s and these two co-leaders faced the challenge of channeling that same music through a big band. Dameron is renowned for his gift for melody and his music, much of which has been criminally underrecognized for years. Engelhardt and Enos delivered their first effort on Dameron’s music with their 2018 The Magic Continues, a remake of Dameron’s last 1962 album The Magic Touch, which was the first time the two co-leaders interpreted Dameron’s small combo recording into a big band version.

For reference, that last Dameron ensemble included Clark Terry, Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin, Ron Carter, and Philly Joe Jones. (no slouches there). Engelhardt and Enos, who both co-led the project and are both educators, recruited fellow music educators mostly from the Midwest. Among them are pianist Phil DeGreg (Cincinnati), trumpeter Brad Goode (Denver), bassist Dave Morgan (Youngstown), trombonist Michael Dease (Michigan) and DIVA pianist Jackie Warren (Cleveland). Including vocalists and musicians, there are over twenty in the credits. Fittingly, as Dameron hailed from Cleveland, Engelhardt heads up jazz studies at Youngstown State and Enos is the founder of the Tri-C Jazz Studies Program as Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio, where these sessions were recorded. Willard Jenkins, journalist and artistic director of the DC Jazz Festival, provides the insightful liner notes. Within the jacket are details as to tune dedication as well as the soloists. (For example – “Soultrane” – for John Coltrane – Kent Engelhardt, alto saxophone; Jackie Warren, piano).

Attesting to the talents of these players, most tracks were recorded in one or two takes. Engelhardt titular track opens Disc One, a homage to a past Black community hub in Cleveland and ironically where Tri-C currently stands. There are only a few tracks with four soloists, and this is one of them with Tim Leahey (trumpet), Dave Kana (tenor saxophone), Dease (trombone) and DeGreg (piano). The remainder are adaptations and transcriptions of tunes Dameron wrote for Leonard. In an interesting excerpt from the liners Willard points out “It was in Leonard’s band where Tadd first connected with grandmaster Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, who was a Rocket for five weeks before being fired for unreliable behavior.” Highlights of Disc One include “Dig It” with the inspired vocalist Erin Keckan, brightly and playfully exchanging call-and-response choruses with the band following her first appearance on “Heaven’s Doors Are Wide Open.” “Take Um” has Kana going the Paul Gonsalves route with a multi-chorus tenor solo.

The A-list trombone section shines with Jeff Bush on “Dameron Stomp” and Duke Ellington’s influence on Dameron is keenly felt on the orchestral ballad “A La Bridges” with a wonderful tenor turn from Mike Tomaro while another lyrical piece, “My Dream” features baritone saxophonist Tom Reed. Not to neglect the trumpeters, “Rock and Ride” features a feisty exchange between Goode and Leahy. Engelhardt’s arrangements and orchestrations are superb, sometimes even breathtaking and carry into Our Delight, which is filled with more familiar Dameron compositions beginning with “Our Delight” and “Lady Bird,” perhaps his two best known. The former comes from the Billy Eskstine Orchestra and features Dominick Farinacci (trumpet) and Kana (tenor).

“Lady Bird” sees the return of vocalist Keckan and is imbued with Engelhardt’s soaring alto. “Soultrane” is the first of four that Dameron specifically wrote for John Coltrane and features Engelhardt and Warren as soloists. The others are “Handy Andy (Gnid),” a nine-minute piece where bassist Morgan, trumpeter Farinacci and standouts Engelhardt stretch out; “Mating Call,” which features trombonist Dease and Kana, and the standout “Super Jet,” which features a blowing battle between the tenorists Kana and Tomaro. Two are devoted to the overlooked trumpeter Blue Mitchell.

Enos does the honors of “A Blue Time” and “Smooth As the Wind,” nodding along the way to the foremost beboppers on the instrument at the time – Fats Navarro, Clark Terry, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, and of course Mitchell. The disc ends with Dameron’s theme song, “The Squirrel,” with definitive statements from Leahey. Engelhardt and drummer Jim Rupp. Engelhardt seems obsessed with Dameron’s music and claims that his three CDs (including these two) don’t even yet tell the full story. While we can expect more, there’s so much to delve into in these 22, which do a terrific job of depicting Dameron’s melodic gifts. Some of these themes will likely swirl and linger in your head for days.

Joe Lang – Jersey Jazz Magazine September 2023 – New Jersey Jazz Society

Alto saxophonist Kent Engelhardt and trumpeter Stephen Enos co-lead a Cleveland-based big band Madd for Tadd, a group dedicated to playing the music of composer/arranger/ pianist/leader Tadd Dameron. They have released a superb collection of Dameronia on a double album,

“Central Avenue Swing” & “Our Delight” (self-produced). “Central Avenue Swing” is devoted to music written by Cleveland-born Dameron for Harlen Leonard and his Rockets while he was the pianist on that band in the early 1940s. He later went on to write for big bands led by Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie as well as bands which he fronted. In addition, he wrote charts for John Coltrane and Blue Mitchell among others. Music from this later period of his career, from the mid- 1940s to the late 1950s forms the material explored on “Our Delight.” Dameron was truly one of the giants of big band arranging and was also a magnificent composer. Among his most memorable compositions were

“Hot House,” “If You Could See Me Now,” “Good Bate’” “Our Delight” and “Lady Bird,” the latter two being among the selections on the second disc with clever lyrics by Engelhardt sung by Erin Keckin. If you arenot into Dameron’s music, this provides a great jumping off place.

If you already dig Dameron, you will certainly want to add this set to your collection. MaddForTadd.com

Steven Cerra – JazzProfiles Blogspot Review September 2023

Over the years, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles has spent a lot of time researching the music of Tadd Dameron as this link to our “Career Overview” will attest.

So you can imagine our excitement when Terri Hinte, who heads up a public relations firm that specializes in Jazz, sent along a media release and preview recording of “Madd for Tadd: Central Swing & Our Delight” by a 15-piece big band led by saxophonist Kent Engelhardt and trumpeter Stephen Enos set for an August 25th release on Tighten Up Records.

Upon receipt of this information, the first thing I did was search for their 2018 debut recording - The Magic Continues - which I had completely missed upon its issuance. 

If you are a fan of Tadd’s music, you won’t want to miss these recordings. They are magnificent from every perspective: the reimagined arrangements of Tadd’s music including many of his lesser known and somewhat obscure compositions; the high quality of the musicianship which does justice to the skill required to play Tadd’s music well; the imaginative soloing which brings out new dimensions to many of Tadd’s pieces; the superb audio enhances makes Tadd’s music and makes it feel fresh, vital and of the moment; the informative booklet notes by journalist and author Willard Jenkins which offers commentary on each of the tracks on the recording.

These recordings are an excellent example of the way in which the Jazz Repertoire is becoming the American Classical Music of the 21st Century. Not only is it studied, examined and preserved, but it is performed and recorded and, in so doing, brought to life for future generations to enjoy.

George Harris - Jazz Weekly November 2023

Dameron, is celebrated on two separate discs released by Madd for Tadd, co-led by Kent Engelhardt and Stephen Enos. The result is a fun celebration of an artist that deserves greater recognition and appreciation.

Kent Engelhardt’s “Central Avenue Swing” brings in a bit of original material for clever yet concise charts for solos by Brad Goode/tp on “Dameron Stomp” and “Society Steps Out” and Dig It featuring the warm voice of “Erin Keckan.  The other disc, “Our Delight” band does wonders with the famous “Lady Bird” with Kent Engelhardt’s bopping alto, which is also featured on a rich take of “Soultrane”. “Mating Call” features Micheal Dease’s bright trombone, and the anthem “The Squirrel” gives drummer Jim Rupp a chance to drop a few bombs. The encouraging thing about this session is that the sounds and colors are much improved from the original recordings, giving an extra depth and dimension. Get these gents on the road!

Rick Anderson – CD Hotlist New Releases for Libraries – October 2023

Madd for Tadd
Central Swing & Our Delight (2 discs)
Self-released

This is really two albums in a single package: the first disc consists of charts that celebrated composer Tadd Dameron wrote in 1940 for the Kansas band Harlan Leonard and His Rockets (with the addition of a 1949 tune, the ballad “Heaven’s Doors Are Open Wide”); the second disc is a program of other Dameron tunes from the 1940s, many of which became favorites of bebop players like John Coltrane and Blue Mitchell. In fact, it’s as a composer for small bop ensembles that Dameron gained his greatest fame, and I bet you didn’t know that he wrote “Soultrane” and “Mating Call,” did you? (OK, maybe you did, but I didn’t.) This project reflects a decades-long interest in Dameron’s music on bandleader Kent Engelhardt’s part; many of these arrangements are his own transcriptions from old recordings. The playing by the whole band is superb, but those arrangements are the real star here. Strongly recommended to all jazz collections.

Debra Jan Bibel - Amazon and Facebook

Discovering Dameron: Big Band Style

Tadd Dameron [1917–1965] was an important pianist, tunesmith, and arranger beginning in the 1940s who pushed jazz with strong melodies and innovative harmonies. He was sought by Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, and Sarah Vaughan, among many others. His work was usually performed by small groups, though he desired to have it played by big bands. Fellow Ohian and Youngston State University ethnomusicologist and jazz biographer Kent Engelhardt has been engaged in transcribing and notating Dameron's compositions for big band, which he helped established with conductor and trumpeter Stephen Enos. Madd for Tadd is a 15 member Cleveland ensemble. Having already issued their first album, The Magic Continues, the band now releases a 2-CD set focused on Dameron's 1940s compositions on the disc Central Avenue Swing, and his later hard bop and last works on Our Delight, a total of 22 pieces. The result is a what-if rendition of Dameron pieces with Engelhardt's modern arrangements yet having the sound and spirit of the original period. The earliest tunes were for the Kansas City regional band Harlan Leonard and His Rockets. Deep in the Swing Era, and being Kansas City afterall, the adapted music is bright, bluesy, and features some fine lyrical solos by horn players with counter punctuation by others. And they are danceable. The 1949 piece, Heaven's Doors Are Open Wide, is sung by Erin Keckan. She is back in the following Dig It with call-and-response. While dancing shoes are for the first disc, the second takes us into small clubs of the 1950s and early 1960s and adventurous listening to Billy Eckstine, Blue Mitchell, Fats Navarro, and John Coltane. Keckan returns with Lady Bird, with Engelhard's lyrics; her second song is I Think I'll Go Away. Mating Call has a Latin treatment. The larger format and orchestration on this disc does not improve upon the original performances; hence the shift is to the structure of the compositions and their harmonic potential previously unrealized. The impressive performances of the large ensemble and its excellent solos coupled with well-crafted arrangements showcase the vision of Dameron. Cleveland should be proud of these Tadd Madd Hatters.

The result is a what-if rendition of Dameron pieces with Engelhardt's modern arrangements yet having the sound and spirit of the original period….The impressive performances of the large ensemble and its excellent solos coupled with well-crafted arrangements showcase the vision of Dameron.

Testimonials

I can’t believe all the noteworthy players on that CD with nice solos from everyone. I especially liked Dominick Farinacci and Tim Leahey. So lyrical and musical. And Michael Dease! ~ Bobby Shew - trumpeter

Congratulations!  Wow what a sound!  What amazing music, and the recording quality is awesome too!  It is a great package.  You guys are killing it out there. Tadd Dameron would be proud!!! ~ Jerry Bergonzi - tenor saxophonist

This speaks to me in my language. These guys have done a high quality job in every respect. I only know a couple of them (Jim Rupp and Brad Goode), from a short moment in Cleveland many years ago.  My congratulations (from someone who, while not quite a full-fledged fellow Clevelander, lived there as a school kid from 1946-52).  Thanks for posting this. It has meaning for me, and that’s not something I experience often. ~ Chuck Israels – bassist, composer, arranger

Congrats on a great project! Killer players all around. ~ Bob Bowlby - former lead alto saxophonist with the Buddy Rich Band

I received the MADD FOR TADD album and want to congratulate you on a wonderful project! It’s great to hear these Dameron tunes I’ve never heard and played by the Cleveland (and other) “Cats!” So, kudos to you, Kent and the entire roster of players. ~ John Clayton - bassist, composer, arranger, co-leader Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

As the leader of the Orlando Jazz Orchestra, it was an absolute pleasure collaborating with Kent Engelhardt and experiencing the brilliance of the Dameron project. The orchestra thoroughly enjoyed working with Kent and was thrilled to bring these outstanding arrangements and compositions to life. Together, we delivered an unforgettable performance that celebrated the genius of Tadd Dameron, leaving our audience enchanted and inspired. ~ Greg Parnell - drummer, leader, and founding member of the Orlando Jazz Orchestra

The University of South Florida School of Music enjoyed having Kent Engelhardt on campus to work with our students and faculty in presenting a concert of the Madd for Tadd project music.  Kent was amazing working with our students on this music, providing historical insights into Tadd Dameron and his music, and providing expert advice and instruction for the performers, allowing the students and faculty to put on a great concert of this classic music. ~ Jack Wilkins - Director of Jazz Studies, University of South Florida

The result is a what-if rendition of Dameron pieces with Engelhardt’s modern arrangements yet having the sound and spirit of the original period….The impressive performances of the large ensemble and its excellent soloist coupled with well-crafted arrangements showcase the vision of Dameron. ~ Debra Jan Bibel - Review for Facebook and Amazon

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