Jason Lee Bruns (dms, pandeiro); Mahesh Balsooriya (pno); Edwin Livingstone (bs); Angelo Matz (gtr Portuguese vcls); Kevin Bachelder (English vcls); Kim Richmond (alt/sop); Jason Garner (tpt, flug); Jacquez Voyemant (tmb).
(Review by Lance)
One of the joys (and the non joys) about this blog are the CDs that drop through the letterbox almost everyday - some are absolutely delightful - others are absolutely not! The ones that you don't see reviewed here are in the latter category! However, I do appreciate that my tastes aren't everyone's and everyone's isn't mine. So if there are any reviewers out there who want to lighten the burden please get in touch.
This, I'm pleased to say is one of the more delightful ones.
Recorded live at the Catalina Jazz Club on Hollywood's Sunset Strip this is quite a compelling, without being an over intense, performance. In other words, what used to be the jazz club norm.
The Jazz Collective is comprised entirely of faculty and alumni of the USC Flora L Thornton School of Music.. Together the group explores their diverse musical influences through the context of a jazz lens.
There is so much going on it is impossible to detail everything save to say that while the Latin influence is very evident there is still a lot of North American jazz in there. It's a melange to die for. The vocalists singing and scatting in English and Portuguese, solos from the horns, great drumming from Bruns and the ensemble in full swing. No wonder it was a packed house. Thank god for this Cd because I don't suppose they'll ever hit the UK although the way they're flying here who knows?
Jason Lee Bruns Jazz Collective - Live at Catalina Jazz Club is currently available on Capri Records.
Lance.
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