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Dave Slonaker Big Band: Convergency
ByExcepting the last cut, the Harry Warren/Mack Gordon-penned "I Had the Craziest Dream," the album features Slonaker's compositions, all of which are fully realized, multifaceted journeys that evolve in intriguing directions. The album's title track kicks things off wonderfully, with a fervid energy and a fiendishly complex arrangement. "A Curve in the Road" is similarly devious in its orchestration, with a growing urgency that emerges as the piece unfolds. Slonaker's rhythm section is a fine one, with pianist Ed Czach, bassist Edwin Livingston and drummer Peter Erskine all having appeared on Intrada. Erskine is especially invaluable, alternately coaxing the pieces along with subtle interjections and enlivening them with punchy rhythmic bursts.
While the up-tempo burners are excellent, so too are the ones that take a less boisterous form. "A Gathering Circle" has all the evocative richness of a Maria Schneider composition, relying more heavily on mood than on big-band dazzle; and "Vanishing Point" establishes a compelling narrative arc, beginning in a ruminative vein before taking on a more assertive posture under an enticing bass ostinato, and integrating the horns in cunning ways, making excellent use of the album's pristine sound quality so that each nuance is readily audible. And while Slonaker's wily arrangements should get a lot of our attention, he also relies on superlative contributions from his colleagues, with fine solos on display throughout the album. Highlights include Bob Sheppard's dynamic soprano saxophone, which carries "Vanishing Point" along its varied trajectory, and tenor saxophonist Tom Luer, who soars on the Latin-inflected "Uncommonly Ground."
It is also worth mentioning that, unlike Slonaker's debut, this recording was made in highly adverse circumstancesin October 2021, to be exact, during the heart of the pandemic. Getting any ensemble together for a recording date was challenging enough, let alone a big band with twenty musicians. It's a testament to Slonaker and his band's vision and dedication that they were able to pull this off, and with such excellent results to boot.
Track Listing
Convergency; Uncommonly Ground; Duelity; A Gathering Circle; A Curve in the Road; Inner Voices; Sometimes a Notion; Vanishing Point; And Now the News; I Had the Craziest Dream.
Personnel
Dave Slonaker
composer / conductorBob Sheppard
saxophone, tenorBrian Scanlon
trumpetRob Lockart
clarinetTom Luer
clarinet, bassAdam Schroeder
saxophone, baritoneWayne Bergeron
trumpetDan Fornero
trumpetClay Jenkins
trumpetRon Stout
trumpetAlex Iles
tromboneCharlie Morillas
tromboneIdo Meshulam
tromboneBill Reichenbach
drumsEd Czach
pianoEdwin Livingston
bassPeter Erskine
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
Jay Mason: baritone saxophone (2, 3, 6, 8, 9); Ryan DeWeese: trumpet (2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10); Larry Koonse: guitar (2, 4); Brian Kilgore: percussion (2, 4, 9).
Album information
Title: Convergency | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Origin Records
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About Dave Slonaker
Instrument: Composer / conductor
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