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Contact Information:
Manchester
Craftsmen's Guild
1815 Metropolitan Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
USA
412-322-1773
www.mcgjazz.orj |
Clayton-Hamilton
Jazz Orchestra
Live at MCG
MCG Label
by Don Henke
One
thing is sure when you get a Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra album.
You’ll hear some of the swingingest big band jazz around. If it’s
done live, it will be even better because an audience naturally inspires
musicians to turn it up a notch. On this CD, recorded live at the
Manchester Craftsmen Guild in Pittsburgh in May of last year, those
rules apply.
The set leads off with a hard-driving
arrangement of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia”. Ricky Woodward’s
tenor saxophone charges through the entire piece, inspired by the band
behind him. He plays the head at a moderate tempo but soon is off and
running, as is the band. Horace Silver’s “Jody Grind”, conversely,
is taken at a slower, more bluesy pace. Woodward takes the first solo,
again tearing through but within the confines of the chart. Trombonist
Ryan Porter is up next, with a lot of growl. Co-founder Jeff Hamilton
then plays a couple of drum breaks with his usual ease as the tune ends.
Co-founder John Clayton then brings his
bass down front to play “Nature Boy.” Clayton is one of the foremost
arco players in jazz, as well as one of the best arrangers. All the
tunes in this concert were his charts. The classic “Lullaby of the
Leaves” is up next. It begins with a trio arrangement on the melody by
pianist Tamir Hendelman with occasional comments from the ensemble. This
is followed by a trombone solo by George Bohanon with the rhythm
section. The rest of the brass gets a few words in before Hendelman
takes a solo with bass and drums. The remainder of the tune is more
rhythm section with a little from the rest of the band.
John
Clayton’s tribute to Horace Silver, “Silver Celebration”,
doesn’t include any overt references to Silver’s tunes (although the
opening almost goes into “Sister Sadie”) but the overall feel is
there. Gilbert Castellanos has an intricate trumpet solo, followed by a
little of Hamilton’s drums and then a Bohanon solo that begins in a
subdued manner but picks up markedly before some brush work by Hamilton.
Another tribute, Ray Brown’s “Captain Bill” for Count Basie,
begins with Hendelman playing a bit like the Count for several bars,
then bassist Christoph Luty coming on like Brown for a long solo until
the orchestra shouts and Hendelman solos again. Tenor saxophonist
Charles Owens has a fine solo before the band and Hendelman take the
tune out with a Basie ending.
Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo”
begins almost dirge-like with trombonist Ira Nepus taking the bridge.
Owens then comes back for a tenor solo at the same slow tempo. The dirge
comes back with John Clayton’s arco bass leading the way. Nepus then
gets the last few notes. Thelonious Monk’s “Evidence” gets a
treatment befitting the composer at the beginning. Randy Napoleon has a
guitar solo for a few choruses and Castellanos, Sal Cracchiolo, Clay
Jenkins and Bijon Watson trade trumpet choruses for a while, then
indulge in some free-form together. The only trumpeter not on the last
piece, charter member Snooky Young (85 years old at the time of the
recording and still going strong today at 86) has a muted solo on the
slow-paced “Like a Lover”. Co-founder Jeff Clayton has a nice
soprano saxophone solo on this piece. The rest of the ten minutes,
before Young and after Clayton is ensemble work and just fades away.
Sonny Stitt’s bebop classic “Eternal
Triangle” gets a real workout beginning with Lee Callet’s baritone
solo, followed by alto solos by Keith Fiddmont and Jeff Clayton, then
tenor solos by Woodward and Owens. Hamilton’s drums then drive the
ensemble to the end. “Squatty Roo” was one of Johnny Hodges’ many
nicknames with Duke Ellington’s orchestra and he wrote a piece by that
title. Woodward takes the first solo on tenor, followed by Bohanon’s
trombone and Jenkins’ trumpet. Hendelman then takes a piano solo,
Castellanos has a triple-tonguing trumpet solo and Hamilton’s drums
wrap it up.
This is one of the best big bands in the
country, with one of the best arrangers (John Clayton) and one of the
best big band drummers (Jeff Hamilton), along with some great soloists.
Put that together with an appreciative audience and you have a real
winner. The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra Live at the
Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild.
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