Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Acme Jazz Company: Acme Jazz Company
Acme Jazz Company: Acme Jazz Company
ByThe trombones shine brightest on tenor Bob Parsons' swinging arrangement of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "It Might as Well Be Spring" (elegant solo courtesy of Link), while brass and reeds take charge on Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" (also arranged by Parsons) and Brian Wilson's smooth-flowing "Wouldn't It Be Nice." Fogel, an earnest crooner from the Sinatra school of lyric fidelity and precise diction, offers respectable albeit unassuming readings of the standards "Time After Time," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Autumn in New York," "Cheek to Cheek" and Louis Jordan's R&B classic "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby."
Drummer Tony Guscetti (replaced by Artz on "One Eyed Jacks" and "Balm for the World") supervises a capable rhythm section that includes LeCrone, bassist Miles Porter and pianists Bruce Jandrey, Michael Fischer or Bill Gabrys. Other soloists who bend the ear are Parsons ("Wouldn't It Be Nice"), Tom Matheson (flugel on "Time After Time," trumpet on "Don't You Worry") and bass trombonist Brooke Nelson ("Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"). A moderately uneven studio date whose strong points outweigh its weaker fragments while showing meaningful promise for albums yet to come.
Track Listing
Time After Time; Wouldn’t It Be Nice; A Balm for the World; Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby; Nice Work If You Can Get It; One Eyed Jacks; Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing; It Might as Well Be Spring; Autumn in New York; Cheek to Cheek.
Personnel
Doug Rasmussen: leader, alto sax, flute, piccolo; Peter Davis: trumpet; Todd Matheson: trumpet; David Smythe: trumpet; Robert Hirte: trumpet; Jerry Cerchia: trumpet (3, 6); Adam Meckler: trumpet (3, 6); Miles Mortensen: alto sax, flute; Bob Parsons: tenor sax, flute; Tom Schmitt: tenor, soprano sax; Michael Gartner: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Keith Hilson: trombone; Dave Graf: trombone; Ben Link: trombone; Lance Strickland: trombone; Michael Haynes: trombone (4, 5, 9, 10); Mike Larson: trombone (1, 7, 8); Brooke Nelson: bass trombone; Bruce Jandrey: keyboards (2, 4, 5, 9, 10); Michael Fischer: keyboards (1, 7, 8); Bill Gabrys: keyboards (3, 6); Geoff LeCrone: guitar; Miles Porter: bass; Tony Guscetti: drums; Andy Artz: drums, percussion (3, 6); Arne Fogel: vocals.
Album information
Title: Acme Jazz Company | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: ACME Records