MUSIC REVIEW BY Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
According to the Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra web site:
The Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra was formed to nurture the musical, educational and artistic growth of individual musicians, to encourage women to become involved in jazz performance/composition as a career or avocation, and to foster community interest in and appreciation of jazz as an art form.
It's a mission statement, I suppose, a little wordy, with admirable intentions; and if Dreamcatcher, the group's recent set of concert performances, is a measurment of their progress toward the mission, I'd say they're on their way. Indeed, the ladies kick some mission keister here.
The first thing that jumped out was Ann Reynolds' piano on "The Hiding Place," a sound with a real zing to it, underscoring how important it is to have a vibrant musician in the piano chair on a big band set. The song churns forward on an easy-swinging Latin groove under the band's cool harmony, featuring laid back and straight-at-you alto sax solo by Lisa Gordanier. "Big Mama Louise," a bright and sassy Kim Richmond tune, features some Ellingtonian reed harmony, a tangy trumpet solo by Angela Smith in front of the rhythm section sounding especially buoyant before Sue Orfield blows in on a tart tenor sax turn.
Gershwin's "A Foggy Day" serves as role of standard here, a brighter, a more finger-snappingly uptempo take than you normally here of the marvelous song, with Sheryl Clark's smooth-flowing tenor sax solo that builds in intensity and draws a well-deserved shout from the crowd as it crescendos.
A fine set of big band sounds; with the bonus of Greta Matassa's upbeat vocals on "Fly Me to the Moon" and "As Long As I'm Singing"; but the biggest bonuses are the four Daniel Berry tunes. The band's driector, Berry is new to me, but he writes an interesting and engaging song. "Nisqually Riff" slinks in on a sort of dark Henry Mancini groove, with Sue Pascal's vibes setting a soft glow behind the understated, yet still intense atmosphere of the arrangement.
The band's only four years old, but we'll here more from them and Berry.
The Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra was formed to nurture the musical, educational and artistic growth of individual musicians, to encourage women to become involved in jazz performance/composition as a career or avocation, and to foster community interest in and appreciation of jazz as an art form.
It's a mission statement, I suppose, a little wordy, with admirable intentions; and if Dreamcatcher, the group's recent set of concert performances, is a measurment of their progress toward the mission, I'd say they're on their way. Indeed, the ladies kick some mission keister here.
The first thing that jumped out was Ann Reynolds' piano on "The Hiding Place," a sound with a real zing to it, underscoring how important it is to have a vibrant musician in the piano chair on a big band set. The song churns forward on an easy-swinging Latin groove under the band's cool harmony, featuring laid back and straight-at-you alto sax solo by Lisa Gordanier. "Big Mama Louise," a bright and sassy Kim Richmond tune, features some Ellingtonian reed harmony, a tangy trumpet solo by Angela Smith in front of the rhythm section sounding especially buoyant before Sue Orfield blows in on a tart tenor sax turn.
Gershwin's "A Foggy Day" serves as role of standard here, a brighter, a more finger-snappingly uptempo take than you normally here of the marvelous song, with Sheryl Clark's smooth-flowing tenor sax solo that builds in intensity and draws a well-deserved shout from the crowd as it crescendos.
A fine set of big band sounds; with the bonus of Greta Matassa's upbeat vocals on "Fly Me to the Moon" and "As Long As I'm Singing"; but the biggest bonuses are the four Daniel Berry tunes. The band's driector, Berry is new to me, but he writes an interesting and engaging song. "Nisqually Riff" slinks in on a sort of dark Henry Mancini groove, with Sue Pascal's vibes setting a soft glow behind the understated, yet still intense atmosphere of the arrangement.
The band's only four years old, but we'll here more from them and Berry.
Soundclips
Other Reviews of
"Dreamcatcher":
Jazziz by Howard Mandel
All About Jazz by Jack Bowers
Earshot by Peter Monaghan
All Music Guide by Scott Yanow