Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eric Felten: Meets the Dek-Tette

Eric Felten: Meets the Dek-Tette

By Jim Santella
March 18, 2005
View read count

In a tribute to Mel Tormé and Marty Paich, veterans of the West Coast jazz scene gather with singer/trombonist Eric Felten to interpret enjoyable standards in their own sweet way. Felten's clear baritone voice gives the session a smooth texture that proves to be an appropriate homage to singer Tormé.

Patterned after Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool sessions, Marty Paich's Dek-tette had a full sound that made the small group sound like a full orchestra. The same kind of musical arranging has gone into Felten's session, as he gets a big sound out of his stellar ensemble.

Felten sings 'em with a mellow nonchalance that recalls the Big Band Era. His musical partners follow with a confident stride that only veterans can muster. Jack Sheldon provides luscious trumpet solos, Herb Geller fills with amicable alto strides, Med Flory adds several standout solos, and Felten picks up the trombone for a few volatile forays. During the course of the program, the Dek-tette's rhythm tandem and Les Benedict's tuba color with a sparkling texture.

Without a piano, the ensemble offers a different point of view that relies on its remarkable orchestrations for its effect. Couple that with Felten's smooth baritone vocals and you have a winning performance.

Track Listing

You're Driving Me Crazy; Pick Yourself Up; I Hadn't Anyone Till You; I Could Write a Book; I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan; My Time of Day/I've Never Been in Love Before; Broadway; Gone with the Wind; I'll Be Around; It's All Right With Me; Where or When; I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry; This Can't Be Love.

Personnel

Eric Felten

trombone

Eric Felten- vocals, trombone; Herb Geller- alto saxophone; Med Flory- tenor saxophone; Tom Peterson- baritone saxophone; Bob Findley, Jack Sheldon- trumpet; Bob Enevoldsen- valve trombone; Rick Todd- French horn; Les Benedict- tuba; Chuck Berghofer- bass; Gregg Field- drums.

Album information

Title: Meets the Dek-Tette | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: V.S.O.P. Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Isms Out
< Previous

Faith in a Seed
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.