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The Sofferman Perspective: One Stone, Two Birds

By Jim Santella
April 3, 2004
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The Sofferman Perspective: One Stone, Two Birds

Brooke Sofferman's original music carries with it both a deep loyalty to jazz's tradition and a surging perspective of where jazz is headed. You'll find pointers at his website, which will lead you to audio samples.

The title track shifts meters between 7/4, 6/4, 13/4 and 9/4. These rhythmic changes allow the band to explore, while stutter steps keep the listener wrapped up in a groove. In Sofferman we find a composer who respects the listener's thirst for variety. By creating a bridge between known, swinging jazz and a more forward-leaning power, the drummer/composer is helping to shape our future.

Norm Zocher, Phil Grenadier and Jerry Bergonzi carry the band's front line with strength. Their sometimes moody and sometimes upbeat rock presence gives the session ample fire. Together, the ensemble teems with emotion. Abby Aaronson sits in for the medley from Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite and for the popular television theme that closes out the album. Her multiple octave wordless vocals over bass add a timeless measure to the session.

'Uh-ah-ooo-ah,' on the other hand, infuses a rare quality into an otherwise straight-ahead piece. Opening and closing with spoken 'Oohs' and 'Aahs,' the composition uses several human voices as an integral part of its rhythm. With equal parts rhythm, melody and harmony, the Sofferman Perspective leaps straight ahead in its quest to help shape the future of jazz.

Track Listing

Mimi?s Mambo; Bo-beh-lo; Purple Friggin? Dinosaur; One Stone, Two Birds; Ky by Sky; Griegarious Skang (Morning, In the Hall of the Mountain King); Boppa?s Bossa; Uh-ah-ooo-ah; Sunbird; Wouberfish; Triptophan; Magnum P.I. Theme.

Personnel

Brooke Sofferman

drums

Jerry Bergonzi- tenor saxophone; Phil Grenadier- trumpet; Norm Zocher- guitar; Alexei Tsiganov- piano; Thomson Kneeland- acoustic bass; Brooke Sofferman- drums; Abby Aaronson- electric bass & wordless vocals on ?Griegarious Skang? and ?Magnum P.I. Theme.?

Album information

Title: One Stone, Two Birds | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Summit Records

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