On
ISLANDS, composer and arranger DAN BONSANTI and
his band, THE 14 JAZZ ORCHESTRA, once again present a
collection of swinging, contemporary jazz arrangements of 11
straight-ahead, pop, and fusion compositions by modern masters. This
is the fourth release by Bonsanti and the group, following Cartoon
Bebop (2020), The Future Ain't What It Used to Be (2018)
and Nothing Hard Is Ever Easy (2015). The Art Music Lounge
said about Cartoon Bebop, “Bonsanti has a terrific ear for
color and balance; he likes to keep his big bands “light,” playing
with the streamlined sound of, say, an octet at most, and his
soloists on this CD—both the regulars and the stand-ins—are nothing
short of terrific.”
Bonsanti
Is a sax player who has performed with big bands including the Stan
Kenton Orchestra, Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouth Orchestra, and Doc
Severinsen, as well as with artists Nat Adderley, Michael Brecker,
Randy Brecker, Jimmy Cobb, Bob James, and Dave Liebman, to name just
a few. He began arranging in 1979 and later wrote charts for The Jaco
Pastorius Big Band. Although he does not perform on the bandstand
these days, his writing and arranging have garnered much attention
and praise.
The
14 Jazz
Orchestra grew out of a rehearsal band Bonsanti formed in 2013 that
comprised mostly former students and faculty from the University of
Miami. The University is home to the prestigious Frost School of
Music, known for its talented teaching staff and students. Bonsanti
formed the rehearsal band to give the teachers and students a forum
to work on their music. The band mostly played the arrangements that
Bonsanti had written, and they soon began performing around South
Florida. Their performances were very well-received, and in 2013,
Bonsanti named the band The 14 Jazz Orchestra.
The
14 Jazz Orchestra originally started out as a regional band, but over
time, the band members dispersed around the country. However, that
did not curtail their ability to make albums. The musicians were able
to record remotely, and MIKE LEVINE, who is a top-notch
pianist, composer, and engineer, creates seamless projects that sound
like the tracks were all recorded in the same studio.
The
musicians on ISLANDS include ED MAINA (alto sax,
flutes), ED CALLE (tenor & soprano sax, flutes), PETER
BREWER (tenor sax, flute, clarinet), MIKE BRIGNOLA (bari
sax, flutes, bass clarinet), BRETT MURPHEY (trumpet), JASON
CARDER (trumpet), JOHN LOVELL (trumpet), DANA TEBOE
(trombone), MAJOR BAILEY (bass trombone), DANTE
LUCIANI (trombone), LEE LEVIN (drums), MIKE HARVEY
(drums), RICHARD BRAVO (percussion), MIKE LEVINE
(piano), JOE DAVIDIAN (piano), LINDSEY BLAIR (guitars),
NICKY ORTA (electric bass), TIM SMITH (electric bass), JAMIE
OUSLEY (acoustic bass), and DENNIS MARKS (acoustic bass).
Bonsanti also invited several special guests, including RANDY
BERNSEN (guitar), MARK EGAN (electric bass), PETER
ERSKINE (drums), WILL LEE (electric bass), DAVID
LIEBMAN (soprano sax), and MIKE MAINIERI (vibes).
Bonsanti
shares arranging credits on several tracks with Mike Levine and with
the late Tom Boras. He dedicated ISLANDS to his brother
Neal Bonsanti, who was one of the finest double-reed players in the
country and a founding member of the Orchestra. Bonsanti hoped his
brother could play on the album although he was quite ill, but he
passed away before he could participate.
Bonsanti
opens the album with McCoy Tyner’s “The Man from Tanganyika.” He had
heard Vince Maggio’s arrangement of the tune while playing in his
Bakers Dozen ensemble. Maggio was a friend and colleague of Bonsanti
from the University of Miami, and had also been a great resource,
especially for traditional jazz compositions and standards. He passed
away shortly after the recording of Cartoon Bebop. “Islands”
is an original composition by Mike Mainieri, who plays vibes on the
track. The track also features legendary drummer Peter Erskine.
Bonsanti
always looks to Chick Corea for inspiration and came upon several
versions of Chick’s “Bud Powell.” Bonsanti thought it would be a
perfect vehicle for solos by Ed Maina, Jason Carder, and Mike Levine.
“Part of Me” is a witty re-working of the title “All of Me,” which
Levine had reharmonized and created a new melody for a vocalist.
Bonsanti shares arranger credits with Levine.
“Carmencita”
is another original by Levine, which he named for his wife Carmen. He
had originally recorded the track for a smooth jazz album, but he
felt it was too straight-ahead for that project. Bonsanti and Levine
worked together to rearrange the pieces and add the horn parts.
“Missouri Uncompromised” is a Pat Metheny composition that appeared
on his debut album, Bright Size Life. Bonsanti rearranged the
tune to feature Manieri, Egan, and Levine.
Bonsanti
dedicated “Jitterbug Waltz” to Vince Maggio. It was part of his
repertoire in a trio setting with Ira Sullivan and Joe Diorio.
Bonsanti shares arranging credits with Levine for this piece.
Levine’s composition “Jaco” is named in honor of the great electric
bassist. Like his tune “Carmencita,” he originally recorded the track
for a smooth jazz album. “Some Other Time” is one of Bonsanti’s
favorite ballads. He spent some time studying a Bill Evans trio
version of the tune and saw an opportunity to use some orchestration techniques
he had learned from studying Gil Evans’ scores.
Bonsanti
was introduced to David Liebman’s “Loft Dance” in the late 1970’s
when Liebman spent time at the University of Miami as a clinician. He
brought a big band arrangement of “Loft Dance” with him by Tom Boras.
Bonsanti selected several passages from Boras’ arrangement and made
some format and orchestration changes. Liebman is a featured soloist
on that track. “When She Loved Me” is dedicated to Neal Bonsanti. The
song, by Randy Newman, is from Toy Story 2 and was nominated
for an Oscar in 2000. Bonsanti originally wanted it to be a special
feature for his brother on oboe and English horn, but when Neal
became too ill to perform, Bonsanti re-orchestrated the piece, adding
tenor sax, fretless bass, and drums.
ISLANDS is another fun and engaging
outing from Dan Bonsanti and the first-rate group of musicians that
comprise the 14 Jazz Orchestra. Whatever the musical style Bonsanti
tackles, his arrangements are always colorful and richly textured.
# # #
ISLANDS will be available online
everywhere on July 21, 2023.
Online:
14jazzorchestra.com
facebook.com/14jazzorchestra
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