Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lou Caputo: Urban Still Life

Lou Caputo: Urban Still Life

By C. Michael Bailey
June 25, 2003
View read count

Urban Still Life is New York to the core with a cast of the City's main characters. Multi-reedist Lou Caputo (a NYC name, for sure) has put together a big-little band and fueled it with engaging arrangements (by band members) of jazz standards. In this respect, this recording is not unlike Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool in that both recordings emphasize the role of the arranger in the preparation of charts for larger jazz orchestras. In fact, included here is John Carisi's "Israel" from the Birth of the Cool Sessions.

The outcome is a collection of brash big band pieces that jump out, grab you by the throat, and yell, "Listen Here!" "In Walked Bud" is a powerhouse, like Mingus' "Song With Orange/Nostalgia in Times Square." There is a Bossa shade to Wes Montgomery's "Road Song" and Mario Bauza's "Mambo Inn." Charlie Parker's complex "Chi Chi" comes off without a hitch in this large ensemble setting. This superb big band outing will be enjoyable to even the most fussy listener.

For more information, visit Lou Caputo on the web.

Track Listing

In Walked Bud; Road Song; Israel; Song With Orange/Nostalgia In Times Square; Mambo Inn; Somewhere In The Night; Johnny Come Lately; Sometime Ago; Chi Chi; Chelsea Bridge; Raunchy Rita; On Green Dolphin Street.

Personnel

Lou Caputo

woodwinds

Lou Caputo—alto, baritone, soprano saxophones, clarinet; John Eckert, Jon Owens, Bill Mobley, Ben Bierman—trumpets; Roy Agee, Debra Weisz, Gary Valente—trombones; Jack Jeffers, Dale Turk—bass trombone, tuba; Virginia Mayhew, Frank Vicari—saxophones; Roberta Piket, Howard Williams, Bill Whited—piano; John Dooley, Brian Glassman—bass; Joe Carbone, Ed Cherry— guitar; Rudy Petschauer, Bobby Sanabria, Ashley Schaefer—percussion.

Album information

Title: Urban Still Life | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: JazzCat 47 Records

About Lou Caputo

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Syncopated Taint Septet
< Previous

Rule Of Three
Next >

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.