Where Home Is: Ray Anderson's Pocket Brass Band

Where Home Is: Ray Anderson's Pocket Brass Band

ASIN: B00002DFOZ

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
At the century's close, Ray Anderson is one of the 10 best trombonists making jazz albums. Each of his group conceptions--from BassDrumBone (with Mark Helias and Gerry Hemingway) to the Alligatory Band, his big band, the Lapis Lazuli band, and many more--highlights his immeasurable musicality and an often-humorous, thrill-seeking take on multiple jazz traditions all at once. The Pocket Brass Band is, then, one in a long line of great Ray Anderson bands. Here, Anderson has chosen a brass and drums lineup that boasts high-flying trumpeter Lew Soloff, tuba player Matt Perrine, and the hard-hitting Bobby Previte on drums. They take on a mix of Anderson's writing, Monk's splashing rave-up "I Mean You," and Scott Joplin's "Pineapple Rag." The lattermost tune is a particularly inspired take: with stops and starts, tempo changes, and fat-brass solos to match, it shows Anderson's stripes in sputtering, fast-blown, intense rushes without taking leave of Joplin's world. Stay tuned for a minute of silence after the "Pineapple Rag" ends, and you'll get yet another blast, perfect for the marching-brass fan in you, to close the whole session. --Andrew Bartlett

Tracks:

Bimwa Swing
The Alligatory Abagua
The Mooche
I Mean You
Where Home Is
Peace In Our Time
The Pineapple Rag
Bonus Track 1

Amazon.com

At the century's close, Ray Anderson is one of the 10 best trombonists making jazz albums. Each of his group conceptions--from BassDrumBone (with Mark Helias and Gerry Hemingway) to the Alligatory Band, his big band, the Lapis Lazuli band, and many more--highlights his immeasurable musicality and an often-humorous, thrill-seeking take on multiple jazz traditions all at once. The Pocket Brass Band is, then, one in a long line of great Ray Anderson bands. Here, Anderson has chosen a brass and drums lineup that boasts high-flying trumpeter Lew Soloff, tuba player Matt Perrine, and the hard-hitting Bobby Previte on drums. They take on a mix of Anderson's writing, Monk's splashing rave-up "I Mean You," and Scott Joplin's "Pineapple Rag." The lattermost tune is a particularly inspired take: with stops and starts, tempo changes, and fat-brass solos to match, it shows Anderson's stripes in sputtering, fast-blown, intense rushes without taking leave of Joplin's world. Stay tuned for a minute of silence after the "Pineapple Rag" ends, and you'll get yet another blast, perfect for the marching-brass fan in you, to close the whole session. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Capturing the fun of the past.......2000-06-29

A combo of very modern musicians revives the feel and sound of old New Orleans brass bands here, recreating their joy in textures and simultaneous improvization. But it's no classroom reconstruction. The group sounds modern at the same time it pays homage to the past. The small group sounds much larger, and the tuba adds a lot to fill out the sound. Soloff's trumpet is wonderful in using some of the old New Orleans riffs and sounds, while clearly possessing a technique that many of the old masters never had. Once I got this on my CD player, I found it very difficult to take it off, and it is just as enjoyable a couple of months later.

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music