Cecilia Coleman Big Band
Oh Boy!
PandaKat Records
2011

Among the many pleasant surprises on Oh Boy!, pianist Cecilia Coleman Cecilia Coleman
b.1962
piano 's maiden voyage as leader of her own big band, perhaps the most eye-opening is that the band had been together for only eight months when the album was recorded by the renowned Rudy Van Gelder Rudy Van Gelder
b.1924
producer . Coleman, a Californian who moved to New York City in 1998 and has been gigging steadily there ever since, much of the time as leader of her own small groups, formed the seventeen-piece band in January 2010, landed a steady monthly date at The Garage in Greenwich Village, and by the end of August had the ensemble groomed and ready for a two-day recording session at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. The result is another admirable big band album from the Big Apple that teems with bright and engaging moments and shows clearly that Coleman did not press the ensemble into a studio before it was ready to perform.

It helps, of course, to have some of the New York area's most talented jazz musicians in every section, not to mention animated and adventurous charts by Coleman (who wrote and arranged every number). While each of them has much to recommend it, a personal favorite is the urbane finale, "Because," which opens as "Danny Boy" before segueing into a breezy samba with nimble solos by Coleman, alto Bobby Porcelli Bobby Porcelli
and tenor Geoff Vidal Geoff Vidal
preceding a brief chorale-like coda. Porcelli solos earlier on the seductive waltz "Pearl" and "Until Then," Vidal on the sonorous "Lonesome Journey" and "#1." There is one guest soloist, trumpeter Don Sickler Don Sickler
b.1944 (who co-produced the album with Coleman) on the even-tempered "Magpie" (with collateral manifestos by tenor Stan Killian Stan Killian
and trombonist Matthew McDonald Matthew McDonald
).

Speaking of soloists, the veteran trumpeter John Eckert is impressive as always on "Dance" (with Danish-born alto Stephan Kammerer Stephan Kammerer
b.1970
sax, tenor ), the rhythmic "Oh Boy!" (alongside trombonist Sam Burtis Sam Burtis
, soprano Peter Brainin Peter Brainin
and drummer Jeff Brillinger) and dual-tempo #1 (complementing Mike Fahn Mike Fahn
's supple valve trombone and Vidal's rapid-fire tenor sax). While Coleman solos sparingly (on "Pearl," "Walk Away," "Because"), she makes the most of every opportunity, as do Killian and baritone Frank Basile Frank Basile
b.1978
sax, baritone ("Liar, Liar"), soprano Brainin—at the high end of the band's six-member reed section ("Walk Away") and alto Porcelli (the colorful ensemble showcase "Until Then"). Coleman comps with awareness, gracefully supervising the band's admirable rhythm section (Brillinger, bassist Tim Givens Tim Givens
).

In sum, a persuasive debut by Coleman's sharp and well-knit ensemble The even better news, as she discloses in the unsigned liner notes, is that "there's definitely enough material [left over from the recording dates] for a follow-up CD." Oh Boy!

The Phil Norman Tentet
Encore
MAMA Records
2011

Since it was formed in the mid 1990s, the Phil Norman Phil Norman
Tentet has been a class act, blending streamlined arrangements with sharp ensemble work and weighty solos to produce music that is muscular and persuasive yet always urbane and tasteful. Encore, the group's sixth album (and second on the MAMA label), offers more of the same: splendid music that is rigorously designed, immaculately recorded and neatly packaged for the perceptive listener by Norman and his earnest teammates.

If that sounds clinical, we should hasten to add that those prefatory remarks are in no way meant to imply a lack of ebullience or enthusiasm, as there is plenty of that to go around, starting with Alan Broadbent Alan Broadbent
b.1947
piano 's light-hearted "Sonny's Step" and continuing through the frisky finale, Charlie Parker Charlie Parker
1920 - 1955
sax, alto 's "Billie's Bounce," deftly arranged by baritone saxophonist Roger Neumann Roger Neumann
b.1941
sax, tenor . Trombonist Scott Whitfield Scott Whitfield
b.1963
trombone 's arrangement of Dave Brubeck Dave Brubeck
1920 - 2012
piano 's "In Your Own Sweet Way" has been nominated for a Grammy award, but don't let that bother you; it really is a wonderful chart whose charming ensemble passages (enhanced by drummer Dick Weller Dick Weller
's tasteful brushwork) encompass sunlit solos by flutist Rusty Higgins and (muted) trumpeter Carl Saunders Carl Saunders
b.1942
trumpet .

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