MIKE BARONE BIG BAND - LIVE 2005 (2006)
Big Band Jazz with Standards, Jazz Standards and Originals
Mike Barone, leader, trombone / TRUMPETS: Lee Thornburg, Pete Desiena, Ron King, Steve Huffsteter / TROMBONES: Charlie Loper, Dick Hamilton, Bill Booth, Bryant Byers / SAXES: Kim Richmond, Keith Bishop, Ernie Watts, Vince Trombetta, Jr., Jennifer Hall / John Proulx, piano / Chris Conner, bass / Paul Kreibich, drums
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Review by Paul J. Youngman - KJA Advocate for WWW.VINILEMANIA.NET
Trombonist, arranger, composer and big band leader, Mike Barone is captured live at the Rosalie & Alva Performance Gallery in San Pedro, California, in September of 2005. This big band performance is a high energy delight, thoroughly enjoyable with excellent arrangements of classic standards, “When You’re Smiling,” “As Time Goes By” and “How Deep Is The Ocean.” Add in some lesser known jazz standards, “Love Locked Out” by Ray Noble, from the thirties, and one of the earliest known jazz standards, “Darktown Strutters Ball,” composed by Shelton Brooks in 1917, sounding very contemporary in the hands of Barone’s big band. There are a total of ten tracks that make up the CD, a couple of Barone originals are added and without exception, every song offers something positive with most swinging hard.
The power of the Mike Barone Big Band comes from the arrangements, take the first track, “When You’re Smiling” the horn section lets you know they are smiling as they open the tune up with well placed accents sounding like laughter, the melody comes on boldly in response and the horns keep smiling. The liner notes indicate that Ernie Watts takes a tenor solo and Lee Thornburg the lead trumpet break. The tenor playing of Mr. Watts is hot, straying from the melody as far as L.A is from New York; he wildly interprets the song from another space and time. The energy level of the band rides high from this point forward with the tempo swinging in double time care of some fantastic drumming by Paul Kreibich.
The power of the big band comes from the exceptional musicians, playing as a unit or playing solo’s, they make the songs work, they make the arrangements swing. The Mike Barone Big Band is a powerful unit. The playing on the Barone original, “Grungy Bungee,” a bluesy tune with a swinging, funk overtone features an exciting trumpet solo by Ron King, a muted trumpet sound played with a down and dirty growl that pushes the song over the edge.
The playing on “Darktown Strutters Ball,” collectively the band brings this ancient classic into the twenty first century with a fresh, hip take that showcases the soloist’s. Another great tenor saxophone player, Vince Trombetta is featured, with fluid phrasing; a warm tone and a heavy swing feel he struts through the tune magnificently. Every song on the CD features a heavy hitting solo or two, the leader manages to get in on the action, pulling off some inspired trombone playing on a few of the tunes, the J.J. Johnson tune “Lament” features Barone paying tribute to the master, as he plays with melancholy lyrical phrases, singing a trombonist’s lament through a wide spectrum of tones that cry out with passion.
The leader of the band is the impetus, the driving force that puts it all together and makes it happen; Mike Barone plays the role to perfection. He has chosen some wonderful jazz standards, some not so standard jazz tunes and thrown in some originals. He has arranged the songs to make them the most suitable for the band, the best that they can be. He has put together a great band and he lets his band members at these songs and they put everything into their performance. The Mike Barone Big Band, Live 2005 has it all, a wonderful synergy, that brings the necessary ingredients together making this big band performance the complete package.
