Juan Rollan (sax); Steve Strawley (trumpet); Lance Reed (trombone); Jonah Pierre (piano); Jarrett Carter (guitar); Mike Perez (bass); Benjamin Shorstein (drums); Milan Algood (perc.) + Rebecca Shorstein (vocal on 1 tk.)
A lot of jazz musicians have, over the years, had a crack at the works of the great classical composers. From Bach to Bartok, few have escaped being "jazzed". The Schubert folio may have been less plundered than some of the others although he was far from immune.
This isn't surprising as, of all the great classical composers, Franz Schubert was perhaps the most melodic and one whose lyricism so easily lends itself to improvisation.
Winterreise (Winter Journey) was written near the end of the composer's short life (he died aged 31) and was conceived as a song cycle based on the poems of one Wilhelm Muller that dealt with the story of a dejected man who left his home and his beloved in the middle of the night. Did Schubert, who also had a troubled life despite the joyfulness of much of his work relate to this saga? Almost 200 years on we will probably never know...
What we do know is that drummer Shorstein took 10 of the 24 pieces that comprise the suite and arranged them for the Florida based Madre Vaca jazz collective. The result is impressive, crossing and merging several jazz idioms. This is particularly noticeable in the opening Goodnight set over a marching beat that could have been played by a New Orleans street band although Rollan's alto solo owes much to Johnny Hodges and Reed's trombone is nearer to JJ than Kid Ory.
At other times, on such as The Weathervane, Mingus springs to mind. Frozen is anything but - there's enough fire in the solos to melt a glacier. Loneliness features Carter as well as more trombone from Reed. The Crow has Rollan flying in a more angular fashion than the title would suggest. The blurb says he's on tenor but he has an alto sound which is fine by me.
Last Hope begins quite innocuously, getting Schubert's melody out of the way before moving up the centuries ("Franz will you please stop turning in your grave you're keeping me adead".) The Stormy Morning is just that with Reed once again giving the slide a workout and Strawley riding high above the storm with some tricky triple tonguing.
Winterreise (Winter Journey) was written near the end of the composer's short life (he died aged 31) and was conceived as a song cycle based on the poems of one Wilhelm Muller that dealt with the story of a dejected man who left his home and his beloved in the middle of the night. Did Schubert, who also had a troubled life despite the joyfulness of much of his work relate to this saga? Almost 200 years on we will probably never know...
What we do know is that drummer Shorstein took 10 of the 24 pieces that comprise the suite and arranged them for the Florida based Madre Vaca jazz collective. The result is impressive, crossing and merging several jazz idioms. This is particularly noticeable in the opening Goodnight set over a marching beat that could have been played by a New Orleans street band although Rollan's alto solo owes much to Johnny Hodges and Reed's trombone is nearer to JJ than Kid Ory.
At other times, on such as The Weathervane, Mingus springs to mind. Frozen is anything but - there's enough fire in the solos to melt a glacier. Loneliness features Carter as well as more trombone from Reed. The Crow has Rollan flying in a more angular fashion than the title would suggest. The blurb says he's on tenor but he has an alto sound which is fine by me.
Last Hope begins quite innocuously, getting Schubert's melody out of the way before moving up the centuries ("Franz will you please stop turning in your grave you're keeping me adead".) The Stormy Morning is just that with Reed once again giving the slide a workout and Strawley riding high above the storm with some tricky triple tonguing.
The Sun Dogs reverts to Schubert's original lieder format of voice and piano yet nowhere on sleeve or blurb is there any reference to a singer. I'm guessing that it is Rebecca Shorstein who has recorded previously with (husband?) Benjamin Shorstein (on piano) but I could be wrong as the voice has a bisexual timbre to it.
The Hurdy-Gurdy Man brings us to journey's end and it has been a journey of love, mystery and adventure albeit with an over-riding melancholic feel.
I think I'm being fair in saying that it will appeal to fans of both Schubert and jazz providing that they have a bit of each other in their respective souls.
Lance.
Available via the usual suspects.
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