Marshall Gilkes and WDR Big Band: Life Songs

Maryland-born trombonist Marshall Gilkes, who spends much of his time working in and around various jazz bases in North America, returns to his "second" home, Cologne, Germany, for Life Songs, his eighth album as leader and third with his former employer, Cologne's world-class WDR Big Band. Gilkes spent the years 2010-13 in the WDR trombone section, shortly before he and the ensemble released the widely praised albums Koln (Alternate Side, 2015) and Always Forward (Alternate Side, 2018).

For Life Songs, Gilkes wrote eight new charts (ten if you count two "bonus" tracks for digital release only), showing on each why he is such a highly regarded composer, Grammy-nominated for one of his themes from Koln, which received a second nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble. The album's lone standard is one of Gilkes' personal favorites, Rodgers & Hammerstein's "This Nearly Was Mine" from the groundbreaking musical South Pacific, a luxurious showcase for Andy Haderer's tasteful flugelhorn.

As a soloist, Gilkes is superb, especially on "Sin Filtro," an Iberian-inspired cousin of the Stan Kenton staples "Granada" and "Malaguena." Gilkes is also featured on the robust opener, "Fresh Start," and the beguiling "Cora's Tune," written for his daughter. "Fresh Start" and "Back in the Groove," which follow, were composed with the Covid pandemic and its aftermath in mind, the solemn "My Unanswered Prayer" (featuring pianist Billy Test) as Gilkes' response to the epidemic of gun violence that has engulfed and ravished the U.S.

Gilkes arranged (but did not compose) the delightful children's song, "All the Pretty Little Horses," wherein vocalist Sabeth Perez makes her lone appearance, enhancing the lyric in spite of a reluctance to clearly enunciate the letter "s." The trombones are front and center on the panoramic, chorale-infused "Middle Ground," with enaging solos by Ludwig Nuss and Raphael Klemm leading to brilliant exchanges between Gilkes and Andy Hunter. "Sin Filtro" is next, followed by Gilkes' gorgeous treatment of "This Nearly Was Mine" and the bold flag-waving finale, "Sugar Rush."

Besides Gilkes, Test, Haderer and the trombones, soloists include alto saxophonist Johan Horlen ("Back in the Groove," "Pretty Little Horses") and tenor saxophonist Paul Heller ("Sugar Rush"). As for the ensemble, it is immaculate as always, with brass and reeds responding infallibly to the insistent spark provided by Test, bassist John Goldsby and drummer Hans Dekker. It helps to have outstanding charts on tap, and Gilkes makes sure there are no vacancies in that apartment. This is big-band jazz at its peak, marvelously written by Gilkes and masterfully performed by the impressive WDR Big Band.

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