A cellist, faculty member Tulio Rondon, is featured on "Khangai," three guitars (including university chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich) on "Black Friday." Soloists on the other numbers are more conventional; those heard most often are trumpeter Joe Niemann, alto Hedenstrom, tenor Cunningham (the lone solo voice on the plaintive "Gentleman John," written for an uncle), pianist Brandon Covelli, guitarist Michael Wolter, bassist Andrew Detra and drummer Brian Claxton (especially effective on "All the Thngs You Are"). Trombonist Matt Hiel is persuasive on "Three and One," as are alto Brian Handeland and tenor Tyler Anderson on "All the Things," drummer Dave Power on "Stumbling Blocks," the saxophone section (Hedenstrom, Handeland, Cunningham, Anderson, baritone Joe Tierney) on the tempestuous "Things to Come" whose fiery arrangement sounds at times like Gordon Goodwin's "Hunting Wabbits." And be sure to stay tuned for the coda!

The album's laudatory liner notes are by Susie Jones who directs a pretty fair jazz ensemble of her own at Mt. Hood (Oregon) Community College. While Baca's band may not accomplish the impossible, as Jones professes, that in no way detracts from what it has accomplished, which includes recording a long series of exemplary CDs, the latest of which, A Gentleman Named John, impressively reinforces the UW-EC jazz program's ongoing tradition of excellence.

Tracks and Personnel

Journey Home

Tracks: Journey Home; Bebop and Roses; Don't Ask Why (For Irene); Chris Craft; Love in Silent Amber; The Long White Cloud; Mendocino Nights; Woody 'n' Me; Far In (74); Sugar Loaf Mountain; Sonny's Step.

Personnel: Rodger Fox: music director, trombone; Matt Hitti: trumpet; Dave Lisik: trumpet; Chris Selley: trumpet; Jon Papenbrook: trumpet; Alex Nyman: alto, soprano sax, flute; Hayden Hockly: alto sax, flute; Colin Hemmingsen: tenor sax, clarinet; Mike Isaacs: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Andre Paris: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Christopher Fox: trombone; Nick Van Dijk: trombone; Damian Forlong: trombone; Kurt Gibson: trombone; Anita Schwabe: piano (3, 4, 6, 9-11); Nick Granville: guitar; Nick Tipping: bass; Lance Philip: drums. Special guests—Alan Broadbent: composer, arranger, piano (1, 2, 5, 7, 8); Charley Davis: lead trumpet.

Fun Time and More Live

Tracks: Ansage (announcement); Fun Time; Not Really the Bllues; Celebracion; A Song for Sarah; Blue Samuel; Samantha; Rare Moment; A New Day; A Pair of Aces; Struttin' with some Barbecue; Orchids and Butterflies; Satin 'n' Glass; Dimensions in Blue.

Personnel: Sammy Nestico: composer, arranger, conductor; Felice Civitareale: trumpet, flugelhorn; Martijn de Laat: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ralf Hesse: trumpet, flugelhorn; Karl Farrent: trumpet, flugelhorn; Rudolf Reindl: trumpet, flugelhorn; Klaus Graf: alto, soprano sax, flute; Joerg Kaufmann: alto sax, flute; Steffen Weber: tenor sax, flute; Andreas Maile: tenor sax, clarinet; Pierre Paquette: baritone sax, clarinet, bass clarinet; Marc Godfroid: trombone; Ernst Hutter: trombone; Ian Cumming: trombone; Georg Maus: bass trombone; Klaus Wagenleiter: piano; Klaus-Peter Schoepfer: guitar; Decebal Badila: bass; Guido Joeris: drums.

Straight Ahead

Tracks: Basie Straight Ahead; The Late Late Show; A Foggy Day; Flight of the Foo Birds; The Man I Love; 'S Wonderful; Aquellos Fueron los Anos; Fawncy Meeting You; Splanky; Time After Time; The Lady Is a Tramp; Calles Vacias (Empty Streets); Gentle Piece.

Personnel: Juan Manuel Aleman: music director; Sebastian Gil: artistic director, trumpet; Juan Ramon Martin: trumpet; Santiago Guerra: trumpet; Jose Vicente Arana: trumpet; Essteban Ponce: alto sax; Fran Alonso: alto sax; Jose Angel Vera: tenor sax; Rafael Garcia: tenor sax; Sergio Yanez: baritone sax; Orlando Gonzalez: trombone; Juan Carlos Santiago: trombone; Franklin Castillo: trombone; Juan Bosco Arencibia: trombone; Rayko Leon: piano; Yul Ballesteros: guitar; Mario Rivero: bass; Javier Montero: drums; Laura Simo: vocals.

Sharing the Freedom

Tracks: I Feel a Song Coming On; Little Sunflower; Deixa Falar (Carnival); Bali Ha'i; Yesterday's Tomorrow; Nature Boy; What Is This Thing Called Love; This Is for Albert; Collateral Duty Blues; Sharing the Freedom.

Personnel: Scott Crump: music director, trombone; Mark Israel: trumpet; Kenneth Johnson: trumpet; Jeffry Hatfield: trumpet; Marcel Marchetti: trumpet; John Dawson: alto sax; Ryan Janus: alto sax; Ricky Sweum: tenor sax; Geoffrey Torres: tenor sax; Scott Richardson: baritone sax; Mark Burditt: trombone; Randal Schneider: trombone; L. Eugene Montgomery: bass trombone; Todd Gustafson: piano; Jason Crowe: bass; Henrique DeAlmeida: drums; Christina Saalborn: vocals.

A Gentleman Named John

Tracks: Three and One; All the Things You Are; So What; D Minor Mint; Praising Khangai; Stumbling Blocks; Black Friday; Gentleman John; Things to Come.

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