Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra: Mad Scientist Music

34

Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra: Mad Scientist Music

By

View read count
Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra: Mad Scientist Music
Trombonist Ben Patterson's high-powered Jazz Orchestra from the Washington, D.C. area returns virtually intact from 2024's well-received Groove Junkies (Origin Records) with another bold and hard-hitting session that is all but guaranteed to please anyone whose musical antenna leans toward fresh and exciting big-band jazz. Its title, Mad Scientist Music, coined by Harry Schnipper, owner of the D.C. jazz club Blues Alley, is one that was readily adopted by Patterson, who agreed that his office is akin to a mad scientist's laboratory where he "creates things that will eventually have a life of their own," much like the more well-known albeit notorious Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

The first of Patterson's creations is the flag-waving "We're Back Baby!," chock-full of the sort of rip-roaring ensemble work and brass-heavy explosions that would have made Stan Kenton or Buddy Rich smile. Guitarist Shawn Purcell and trumpeter Luke Brandon share solo space on "We're Back," as do pianist Chris Ziemba, alto saxophonist Mike Cemprola, percussionist Fran Vielma and drummer Todd Harrison on the similarly assertive "Misinformation Age" (wherein Emily Davies adds a trim, wordless vocal). Unlike Junkies, whose every number was lively and upbeat, Mad Scientist includes two ballads—both written for Patterson's wife, Anne Marie—the first of which is the melodic "Always," featuring baritone saxophonist Doug Morgan and the orchestra's superb brass section.

Patterson's fondness for a funky groove is most evident on the brisk and flexible "Mixup," whose eloquent ad- libbers are trombonist Kevin Cerovich, trumpeters Brandon and Alec Aldred and tenors Tedd Baker and Xavier Perez. Patterson delivers the first of two impressive solos on the second ballad, "Anne Marie," deftly using his horn to impart love and admiration. That leads to the bright and persuasive closer, "Just 'Cuz," on which Patterson solos again with Aldred, Cemprola and Harrison.

Patterson, an alumnus of the Air Force's flagship jazz ensemble, the Airmen of Note, ensured the orchestra's primacy by recruiting no less than seven of AON's on-duty personnel along with several alumni to serve as its nucleus. Having done that, Patterson could rest assured that his unique "creations" were in the best of hands, a premise that is borne out time and again on Mad Scientist Music, a big-band tour de force from start to finish.

Track Listing

We're Back, Baby!; The Misinformation Age; Always; The Mixup; Anne Marie; Just 'Cuz.

Personnel

Ben Patterson
trombone
Antonio Orta
saxophone, alto
Mike Cemprola
saxophone, alto
Tedd Baker
saxophone, tenor
Xavier Perez
saxophone, tenor
Doug Morgan
saxophone, baritone
Kevin Burns
trumpet
Luke Brandon
trumpet
Alec Aldred
trumpet
Kevin Cerovich
trombone
Dave Perkel
trombone
Ben Polk
trombone, bass
Additional Instrumentation

Emily Davies: vocals; Fran Vielma: percussion; Bill Mulligan: flute & clarinet.

Album information

Title: Mad Scientist Music | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Origin Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Ben Patterson Concerts


Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Good Hang
David Bode
Today Yesterday
Anton Mikhailov
Waking Dream
Randy Napoleon

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.