The Birdland Big Band: Storybook: The Music of Mark Miller

Storybook, the third recording by the New York City-based Birdland Big Band, is subtitled "the music of Mark Miller" and is designed to showcase compositions and arrangements by that multi-talented artist who doubles (triples) as the band's lead trombonist. Miller wrote or co-wrote half of the album's 10 colorful and impressive numbers (11 if one counts Joaquin Rodrigo's brief "Concerto de Aranjuez," which serves as an introduction to Chick Corea's "Spain") and arranged all of them.

Miller's charts are basically straight-on and swinging, with ample blowing space entrusted to the band's corps of stellar soloists that numbers in its ranks the BBB's music director and lead alto saxophonist, David DeJesus, and sturdy drummer Chris Smith, who anchors the ensemble's heavy-duty rhythm section. There are three vocals, each nicely sung by Nicole Zuraitis, who, with Miller, co-wrote the lyric to the playful (and well-named) finale, "Nonsense."

That nonsense is purely intentional, and it marks the band's lone departure from the more serious business at hand, starting with the album's handsome title song and including Miller's sumptuous "Chorale and Alleluia," hard-charging "WTF" and soulful, gospel-centered "The Doubledown." Kenny Barron wrote the dynamic "Water Lily," Tom Harrell the gorgeous "Sail Away." Besides "Nonsense," Zuraitis is heard on the standards "Tenderly" and "Close Your Eyes."

The parade of able soloists begins with flugelhornist Brandon Lee, pianist Kenny Ascher and altoist Nathan Childers on "Storybook." Ascher and tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts shine on "Water Lily," as does tenorist Sam Dillon on "Tenderly" and (with DeJesus, Smith, and trombonists James Burton III and Sara Jacovino) on "WTF." Glenn Drewes (flugel) and DeJesus (soprano) share blowing space on "Sail Away"; Lee, Childers (soprano) and Smith on "Spain."

Baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall, trombonist Ron Wilkins (plunger mute in hand) and bassist Noriko Ueda take their special turns on "The Doubledown," on which Miller himself escorts the band to its delightful conclusion. Wilkins (this time open) is the lone soloist on "Nonsense," although Smith makes his awesome presence felt, as he does on every number.

Storybook is a superb album with an abundance of pleasing moments and very few that are less so. Warmly recommended to anyone who appreciates well-arranged and sharply performed contemporary big-band jazz.

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