Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Joe Augustine: License to Groove

Joe Augustine: License to Groove

By C. Michael Bailey
May 1, 2000
View read count

Amalgham. Cross the Crusader's Joe Sample with Gene Harris and one gets veteran Joe Augustine. Augustine has haunted jazz for the past twenty years as a pianist and arranger for big bands and has recorded consistently since the early 1990s, mostly on Revere, Moulin D'or, and now 1210 records. License to Grove is Augustine's funky, modern take on an inventive collection of standards and originals. Augustine's sound is characterized by a plush and slickly-produced rhythm section providing a carpet upon which his orchestral approach and guitarist Peter Calo's sinewy sound rest. The tone is decidedly contemporary, much in the same way David Benoit's sound is contemporary.

Clever. Clever really does not begin to describe Augustine's arranging ability. The listener need not hear any piece other than "Cute Li'l Darlin" to know this. On this piece, Augustine grafts together two famous Neal Hefti's compositions into one of the smartest performances I have heard. While not as novel, Augustine's take on "Angel Eyes" is cool as is his view of Sonny Rollin's "Doxy".

contemporary jazz is not really my cup of tea, but I found this disc very enjoyable. Augustine is my kind of pianist, albeit a bit slick. This is a hard disc to dislike. Warmly recommended.

Track Listing

Killer Joe; Chill Out; Cute Li'l Darlin'; License To Groove; Angel Eyes; Hot Salsa; The Dukester; Love's A Groove; Smooch; Doxy; Dreamwave; Another Rainy Day. (Total Time: 53:26)

Personnel

Joe Augustine

Joe Augustine: Piano and Organ; Peter Calo: Guitar; David Finck: Bass; Clint De Ganon: Drums; Steve Kroon: Percussion.

Album information

Title: License to Groove | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: 1201 Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Art Pepper
< Previous

Dave Douglas: Moving the Music Forwa...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.