Grooveyard

5-STARS The composer, arranger and leader of his Big Band John La Barbera has a "Grooveyard" rousing big band album released which gets your feet wet and is one of the best that's been published in recent years. His three previous albums, the Grammy-nominated "On the Wild Side" (2002), "Fantazm" (2005) and "Caravan" (2013), all on the Jazz Compass Label featured convincing first-class arrangements with fantastic soloists. John La Barbera's well versed in many styles and genres, with compositions and arrangements for the big ones too - the bands of Buddy Rich, Woody Herman and Count Basie has been held in high regard for many decades along with his brothers Joe La Barbera (dr) and Pat La Barbera (s), at the front of American jazz musicians.

The album contains ten tracks, including four superbly arranged compositions by Carl Perkins ("Grooveyard"), Dave Brubeck ("For Lola"), Curtis Fuller ("Sweetness") and Elvin Jones ("Keiko's Birthday March"), which is a completely new sound and provides the carpet for rousing solos by Pat La Barbera (ts, ss), Renee Rosnes (p), Andy Gutauskas (bs), Mike Davis (tb), Clay Jenkins (tr) and Joe La Barbera (dr). Of the six remaining original tracks, stand outs are especially the fast samba "My new Summer Samba", the wonderfully sensitive Henry Mancini tribute "Thanks Hank" and the John Coltrane tribute "Tranesome" and for Kenny Dorham, "K's Delight".