My Museum

Three years ago, former Tonight Show Band arranger and BBI Elite subscriber Phil Kelly released his Grammy-nominated CD Convergence Zone, which featured his Seattle-based NW Prevailing Winds along with guest musicians from New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville. On My Museum, Kelly leads mostly the cream of LA musician, including four (trumpeter Jay Thomas, trombonist Andy Martin, tenor saxist and TSB alumnus Pete Christlieb, and baritonist Bill Ramsay) who also participated on Convergence Zone, and the results are stunningly stellar, from the opener, the Duke Pearson classic "Jeannine", to the closing update of Kelly's own "Zip City" (originally recorded by trombonist Bill Watrous and his Manhattan Wildlife Refuge band 32 years ago). The title track, a ballad collaboration between Kelly and lyricist Marissa Dodge-Bartlett, presents vocalist Greta Matassa from Seattle, WA in a luch Johnny Mandel-inspired chart complete with string section (recorded in Dallas, TX). Bob Summers' flugelhorn takes center stage on the Ellington/Strayhorn chestnut "Daydream" along with Christlieb's tenor, and John Green's "Body and Soul" undergoes total renovation as a feature for Ramsay's fluid yet muscular baritone (the chart also pays tribute to Marty Paich's version for the 1970's Stan Kenton band). "Pleading Dim Cap" and "Juan Beatov Stomp" are both excursions into funk: the former an acoustic romp with tenorist Brian Scanlon, trombone wizard Martin, and Summers (here on trumpet); and the latter recalling Don Ellis in an electric 7/4 featuring ex-Buddy Rich keyboardist Bill Cunliffe and guitarist Grant Geissman (a Chuck Mangione alumnus). "Lazy Afternoon", from the long-forgotten 1950's Jerome Moross musical The Golden Apple, restores Cunliffe and Geissman to a more acoustic environment in Kelly's unique 6/4 treatment. Other key personnel include lead trumpeter Wayne Bergeron (a Maynard Ferguson alum, bandleader in his own right, and contractor for this CD), lead altoist Lanny Morgan (also an MF grad and soloist on "Bluelonius" and "Zip Code 2005"), bassist Tom Warrington (ex-Rich), drummer Steve Houghton, and percussionist Brian Kilgore. My Museum is likely to propel its creator into the Grammy spotlight once more.