BUY NOW AmazonUK   AmazonUS

A TRIBUTE TO HERBIE +1 DICK OATS / MATS HOLMQUIST NEW YORK JAZZ ORCHESTRA MAMA RECORDS MAA 1049

1. Cantaloupe Island [6:56]

2. Chameleon [11:39]

3. Dolphin Dance [8:56]

4. Eye of the Hurricane [7:45]

5. Stevie R. [6:17]

6. Maiden Voyage [8:07]

7. Jessica [7:07]

8. Watermelon Man [9:27]

9. Toys [6:48]

   Saxophones:

   Dick Oats- Lead alto and soprano
   Mark Gross- Alto and soprano
   Walt Weiskopf- Tenor
   Robert Nordmark- Tenor
   Frank Basile- Baritone

   Trumpets and Flueglhorns:

   Nick Marchione- Lead
   Jon Shaw
   Tatum Greenblatt
   Frank Brodahl
   Joe Magnarelli
   Jakob Gudmundsson, on Eye of the Hurricane

   Trombones:
   John Mosca- Lead
   Larry Farrell
   Steen Nikolaj Hansen
   Max Siegel- Bass Trombone

   Guitar: Paul Meyers

   Piano: Adam Birnbaum

   Bass: Martin Wind

   Drums: John Riley

   Total Playing Time: [73:02]

    

   Saxophonist and bandleader Dick Oatts has combined talents with jazz composer and arranger Mats Holmquist, and together they have formed the New York Jazz Orchestra, a group of top jazz musicians from Scandinavia and New York City. The result of this collaboration is a fine tribute album to jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Herbie Hancock. This album features eight of Herbie’s compositions from early in his career, plus a Mats Holmquist composition, Stevie R. Herbie Hancock’s most famous composition, Watermelon Man, first appeared on his 1963 debut album Takin’ Off. It is a 16 bar blues tune with a strong, simple melody and funky beat. The band performs it with a bouncy rhythm section supporting two saxophone solos, baritone Frank Basilie and tenor Walt Weiskopf. Pianist Adam Birnbaum adds a slice of hard bop piano riffing to balance out the brass-heavy arrangement. Herbie’s 1965 album Maiden Voyage, was a concept album with an oceanic theme. Three tunes from that album are included here; Eye of the Hurricane, Dolphin Dance, and Maiden Voyage. Adam Birnbaum and soprano saxophonist Dick Oatts each take a solo on Dolphin Dance, a sophisticated, moody jazz standard with a strong melody and multiple chord changes. Maiden Voyage is another simple-yet-sophisticated Hancock composition, a modal jazz piece written with only four chords that vamp repetitively, while solo instruments waft above it all. Chameleon appeared on the 1973 Columbia Records album Head Hunters. The song is built around a two-chord vamp in a jazz-funk style, with a strong funk bass line supported by the trombone section. Robert Nordmark and Walt Weiskopf perform energetic tenor sax solos, and guitarist Paul Meyers adds a creative solo melody that stands out sharply amidst the eleven minutes of heavy brass funk.

   This music was recorded on June 11, 2015 at Water Music Studios, Hoboken, N.J. Mats Holmquist provided the music arrangements. Mixing was performed by Willem Bleeker and Mats Holmquist at X-level Studios, Stockholm, Sweden in August 2015. Mastering was performed by Bjorn Engelmann at Cutting Room Studios, Stockhom, Sweden. The album was released in February, 2016. The sound quality is excellent.

   Bruce McCollum

Return to Index