Russell Scarbrough: Fun Times

Bandleader Russell Scarbrough has an intriguing motto: "If it's not fun, we're not doing it right!" He also had an intriguing way of recording his debut album, Fun Times, to which an entire review could be devoted. Suffice to say that the individual parts were taped in isolation owing to the Covid pandemic and sent to Scarbrough for inclusion on the album, sometimes taking up to a year to complete. Scarbrough "could afford to be patient," he writes, "as [he] wasn't on a particular time line."

Once the data was received, Scarbrough loaded it into a digital audio workstation (DAW), over which he had complete control, and let the fun begin. While not everyone performs on every number, and group sizes vary from ten to fifteen, when listening one would swear that the players were together in a single studio. That's due for the most part to the exemplary musicianship, and to Scarbrough's ability to blend the ingredients, as his charts—he wrote everything—are by no means an easy read.

Speaking of those charts, Scarbrough has his own unique approach—more Gordon Goodwin or Toshiko Akiyoshi than Gil Evans or Bob Brookmeyer—but not sounding a whole lot like any of them. He does wrest splendid mileage from his sequestered ensembles, and while it does seem that everyone is having fun, it's rather hard to judge without seeing their faces. Besides writing and arranging, Scarbrough represents the "trombone section" on every track but solos only on the prismatic "Needledrop" and playful "Startups" (no need to say more with heavyweights like Jim Pugh and Brendan Lanighan in the wings). Scarbrough also delivers a tongue-in-cheek "lecture"—written by The Daily Show's Jason Gilbert—on "Startups." All part of the Fun Times.

For beauty, Scarbrough looks to "Something in the Moon," on which Pugh and vibraphonist James Westfall are the featured soloists. He doesn't shy away from funk or rock, sprinkling it liberally throughout to spruce up such well-drawn numbers as "Max-Q," "The Culprit," "Something's Burning" and "Splode." The others—"Spiral Song," "Abandoned in Place," "Song of the Northern Road"—cleave to a more straight-ahead course.

There are one or more soloists on every number, and none is less than proficient. Tenor Jared Sims is out front on the opener, "Max-Q," and fares quite well, especially considering that any tenor saxophonist surnamed Sims (but not nicknamed Zoot) has tremendously large shoes to fill. Aside from Sims, Pugh, Westfall, Lanighan and Scarbrough, other inventive soloists include trumpeters Clay Jenkins, Bob Miller, Jeff Ostroski and Charlie Carr; altos Matt Vashlishan, Bill Straub and Bill Tiberio; tenor JC Kuhl, guitarist Bob Sneider and drummer Chris Teal.

Fun Times must have been fun to record as well as fun to play. Scarbrough clearly has an original voice, and uses it wisely on every number. The ensembles—even though uncoupled—are exemplary, the album itself a pleasure to appraise and admire.