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Valery Ponomarev: Beyond The Obvious
ByBeyond the Obvious features a piano-less quartet, balancing two horns (Ponomarev's trumpet and Don Braden's tenor sax) with the bass and drums of Martin Zenker and Jerome Jennings, respectively. Jennings, who has toured and studied with Ponomarev, is a graduate student at New York's Juilliard School of Music. Suffice to say that he plays with empathy and talent belying his years.
This is a half-and-half mix of jazz standards and savory originals, one of which ("Love On Sale ) is an extended Ponomarev composition loosely based on Cole Porter's Tin Pan Alley chestnut "Love For Sale. The opening "You Dig, whose odd conversational patter title is actually the melody, was recorded by Ponomarev and the rhythm section while Braden sat in traffic on the way to the studio. It's a clever full-throttle blues.
Even on the standardsincluding "Close Your Eyes and "Chelsea Bridge Ponomarev is the clever rearranger, enabling the quartet to mine interesting new facets, hence the project title. There's an intensity and beauty to their interpretation of Ornette's classic "The Blessing, from the late '50s. "Chelsea Bridge features three primary solo voicestrumpet, tenor and bassand is a gem. Check out the subtleties and rhythmic variations that the ensemble adds to Lee Morgan's "Party Time, a classic blues from one of the leader's trumpet heroes.
Braden and Ponomarev's horn lines artfully complement each other both in tandem and as foils throughout this session. It's clear that the leader, so thoroughly grounded in bebop, is extending that exciting tradition.
Track Listing
You Dig, I Hear You, You Know What I Mean Etc.; Close Your Eyes; Party Time; The Blessing; From Cat To Nat; Sale On Love; Chelsea Bridge; Gina's Cooking.
Personnel
Valery Ponomarev
trumpetValery Ponomarev: trumpet; Don Braden: tenor saxophone; Martin Zenker: bass; Jerome Jennings: drums.
Album information
Title: Beyond The Obvious | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Reservoir Music
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About Valery Ponomarev
Instrument: Trumpet
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