Don Doane and The Super Senior Sextet: Live on Maine Public Radio

Dave Nathan

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Published: July 1, 2000

By the time this album was cut, Don Doane had come full circle. In 1961 he was teaching music in the Maine school system. Then Stan Kenton Orchestra came to town. At the urging of a fan, Kenton listened to tapes of Doane's trombone playing with the result that he urged Doane to go to New York to try his hand at earning a living as a professional musician. Over the next few years, Doane held a trombone chair with the Lester Lanin, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman aggregations touring the United States and Europe as well as working with Bobby Hackett. Returing to Maine in the late 1960's, he picked up his teaching career while at the same time fronting musical groups in live performances around the State.

Cinderella and "If I only Had a Brain" from Over the Rainbow. The playing on the former is gentle, with Doane putting his guitar to work. The latter tune is given a unique arrangement of an up tempo Latin beat by Paul Jensen at the drums underlaying some heavy swinging particularly by the sax players. There's also a very pleasant ballad tempo rendition of "I'll Never Be the Same" and a poignant "Nuages." But it's the up tempo material which best fits the groups' musical inclinations. The interpretation of Gerry Mulligan's "Line for Lyons" recalls the 1974 Mulligan/Chet Baker Carnegie Hall collaboration. Stalwart pianist, Gerry Wright, gets extended solo time on this cut showing a lot of bounce to his style. "Filthy McNasty" and "Moanin'" burn with hard swinging as each member of the group solos. "Four Brothers" recalls Doane's Woody Herman days, only there's just a trio of two saxophones and a trombone. Smaller group and amended instrumental mix notwithstanding, the combination of ensemble and solo playing makes this track one of the highlights of the album.

Out of respect, the ages of the performers are not revealed beyond the label as "Seniors". Whatever their years, musicians of any age group would have been proud to produce this high caliber session.

Tracks:B. T's Blues; Line for Lyons; A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes; Where or When; Filthy McNasty; Nuages; If I only Had a Brain; Moanin'; Four Brothers; Blues Up and Down; I'll Never Be the Same

Personnel: Don Doane - Trombone; Ralph Norris - Saxophone; Joe LaFlamme - Saxophone; Gerry Wright - Piano; Al Doane - Bass; Paul Jensen - Drums

Record Label: Invisible Music Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream