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Horizons Jazz Orchestra: Plays the Music of Lee Harris: The Brite Side
ByTo help ensure its success, Balogh invited a trio of his talented friends to sit in, most notably the awesomely creative trumpeter Carl Saunders, who solos on half of the album's ten tracks. Drummer Jonathan Joseph sits in for George Mazzeo on the stalwart opener, Harris' "Red Apple Sweet," and veteran saxophonist Billy Ross reinforces the reed section on every number and solos on four. Harris also wrote "The Runner," "Fourth Dimension" and "The Brite Side," each of which is splendid, and arranged everything apart from Don Sebesky's classic treatment of Leonard Bernstein / Stephen Sondheim's "Maria," scored originally as a showcase for Maynard Ferguson's high-flying trumpet, on which Noday renders a superb likeness of the great MF.
After a couple of "Cherokee"-like riffs, the curtain-raising "Red Apple Sweet" morphs into a robust anthem that bears more than a passing resemblance to the spiritual "Wade in the Water." The tempo moderates for Balogh's eloquent trombone solo, then resumes its intensity behind Joseph's forceful timekeeping. Saunders (flugelhorn) delivers the first of his superlative solos on Harris' sunny arrangement of "Pure Imagination" (from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). Saunders dazzles again on a brace of Harris originals, "The Runner" and "Fourth Dimension," as well as on a spirited remake of the standard "After You've Gone (Finally)" and the irrepressible closer, a sunny bossa based on Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train." When Saunders isn't turning heads, Ross is baring his assertive voice on "The Brite Side," "The Sound" (on which he is featured) and (with Saunders) on "After You've Gone" and "'A' Train Bossa."
That's not to suggest that Saunders and Ross comprise the whole package, as the entire orchestra is top-class and there are engaging solos elsewhere by pianist Gary Mayone (four numbers), Scott Klarman (alto sax on "After You've Gone," soprano on "Summertime"), tenor Joe Mileti ("Maria"), baritone Randy Emerick and guitarist Luke Williams ("Fourth Dimension"). Summing up, Saunders and Ross are nourishing appetizers in a savory smorgasbord of big-band jazz securely anchored around the sharp compositions and arrangements of Lee Harris. Four stars for the enterprise as a whole and another half-star for the dynamic duo, Saunders and Ross.
Track Listing
Red Apple Sweet; Pure Imagination; After You’ve Gone, Finally; The Runner; Fourth Dimension; The Brite Side; The Sound; Summertime; Maria; ‘A’ Train Bossa.
Personnel
Horizons Jazz Orchestra
band / ensemble / orchestraLee Harris
composer / conductorMichael Balogh
tromboneDennis Noday
trumpetRyan Chapman
trumpetJack Wengrosky
flugelhornFernando Ferrarone
trumpetChaim Rubinov
trumpetCarl Saunders
trumpetScott Klarman
saxophone, tenorMike Brignola
saxophone, baritoneBilly Ross
saxophone, tenorJoe Mileti
saxophone, tenorRandy Emerick
saxophone, baritoneJason Pyle
tromboneTom Lacy
tromboneSteven Mayer
tromboneLuke Williams
guitarGary Mayone
keyboardsRanses Colon
bassJonathan Joseph
drumsGeorge Mazzeo
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
Jonathan Joseph, George Mazzeo: drums
Album information
Title: Plays the Music of Lee Harris: The Brite Side | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced
Comments
About Horizons Jazz Orchestra
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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