Album Reviews

There’s so much to recommend here, starting of course with Gerry Mulligan. There’s also a great deal to live up to, given the legendary “Gerry Mulligan Meets….” series on Verve from the 1950’s, one of which (Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster) is reviewed elsewhere this month.

Mulligan meets Providence, R.I. born Scott Hamilton on this Concord original first issued in 1986. Hamilton hit the scene back then around a “retro” musical style and 1940’s physical appearance at a time when, thanks to fusion and avant-garde, “mainstream” jazz was taking a serious hit, and the swing toward wild was marginalizing the music.

Fortunately, Hamilton brought more than nostalgia and Bud Abbott haberdashery to the ‘table: he had pretty good chops. At least Concord’s Carl E. Jefferson thought so, and so did Gerry Mulligan, who brought Mel Tormé’s rhythm section to the sessions, figuring a working section used to accompanying a solid front man might be just the ticket for a two man blowing session (though Mulligan’s generous arrangements leave plenty of room for everyone).

Those of you familiar with the 1981’s fantastic Mel Tormé and Friends Recorded Live at Marty’s (Finesse W2X37484 2 LPs) know that Mulligan played on that set, as did the pianist on this set, Mike Renzi (misspelled on the Mel record as “Renzie”) and the bassist Jay Leonhart. Here, Grady Tate handles the drumming assignment. (The Tormé record’s master tape has disappeared so aside from a short-lived “from vinyl” CD issued by DCC, it’s only available on the original pressing (done by Columbia Records).

The title says a great deal about what you can expect here musically. It’s suave, sophisticated, lyrical, beautiful and carries a tune. It’s mainstream jazz in the best sense of the word, propelled by the rhythm section.

Mulligan’s instantly recognizable baritone (which sometimes reminds me of Paul Desmond at the wrong speed) occupies stage right (left-center of the soundstage), while Hamilton’s tenor is on the opposite. The two trade joyous solos and wind their way through Mulligan’s serpentine arrangements on a set consisting mainly of Mulligan originals.

Hamilton lays out long billowy, breathy lines drawn more from Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster then from more modern masters. In the new notes Hamilton contributes, he talks about the rehearsal sessions at Mulligan’s home where he learned the tunes. He also writes that Mulligan chose the rhythm section after “…hearing them back a singer.” Well, of course not quite! Mulligan played with Renzi and Leonhart backing Mel Tormé! Whatever, the notes are illuminating, and help explain the tightness of the execution given the intricacies of the arrangements: they rehearsed!

The sound on the LP (and the SACD) is relatively close-miked, but the perspectives are more natural than on the Monty Alexander Concord reissue reviewed elsewhere. The engineer and/or mixer chose a relatively dry sound for the rhythm section, while bathing the horns in some tasteful reverb (though you can hear Mulligan’s “valve clatter” through the reverb). It works really well, giving the production both propulsion and atmosphere. Dynamics are modern (in the positive sense) and timbres are full and rich. The result is a modern sonic spectacular, though if you like “old school” atmospherics, you’ll find this a bit “in the nostrils.” Easy to recommend.

I noted that the session was recorded at Penny Lane Studios in New York City, which I’d never heard of. I did a web search and found the site. “Still in business! That’s good to find,” I said to myself. That is, until I went to the “What We Do” page where I found that this was a new Penny Lane Studios founded in 2000 and what the do is “post production for many advertising agencies and cable giants.”

What a revoltin’ development. Nothing against the organization. They’re going where there’s business.



By the way: I knew Scott Hamilton is from Providence because that's where an ex-girlfriend of mine is from and she grew up with him (Cranston, actually).