THE FLYING HORSE BIG BAND MEETS GEORGE GARZONE

UNBRIDLED

Flying Horse Records

Here is the 9^th album release by this energized aggregation who call themselves, The Flying Horse Big Band. Composer, Jeff Rupert is the band director. He also is Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida.  Rupert has written “Pharoah’s Daughter” (arranged by Michael Philip Mossman) that moves from a horn introduction, sounding like something played while the gates of the king’s palace are opening. Suddenly, the crash of Max Terechenok’s drums grabs my attention, followed by the rhythm section that quickly established a groove. The tempo and mood of the song changes in support of a very lovely melody. The saxophone solos are beautifully presented and captivate this listener. George Garzone is an outstanding soloist on both this song and the opening Coltrane jazz standard, “Giant Steps.”  We are off to a running good start.

Garzone is founder of the Boston-based trio, The Fringe, who are the longest running jazz group in history. The saxophonist brings swinging avant-garde flair to the Flying Horse Big Band.

“Chasin’ Tail” sounds like a ‘boys’ national anthem.  It races on the scene at a super-fast pace with Edmund “Quint” Johnson’s tenor saxophone improvising wildly. This arrangement also features the saxophone of Paul Van Wormer. The powerhouse drums of Jamesly Jean-Mary are notable and impressive.

The Flying Horse Big Band settles into a beautiful ballad rendition of the Lalo Schifrin composition, “Reflections.”   Pianist Daniel Tenbusch shines on a Coltrane tune called “Impressions” that Slide Hampton arranged.  George Garzone takes an amazing solo on this closing tune, like the exclamation mark at the end of a sentence.

The Flying Horse Big Band is on fire and the addition of George Garzone lifts the entire presentation ten notches.

BAND PERSONNEL: RHYTHM SECTION: Daniel Tenbusch & Richard Drexler, piano; Noah Charles, guitar; Carlos Barreto, bass; Jamesly Jean-Mary, drums; Max Terechenok & Clarence Penn, drums; SAXOPHONES: George Garzone, lead tenor; Paul Van Wormer, lead alto, tenor/clarinet; Leon Edge, alto/clarinet; Edmund “Quint” Johnson V, Lead tenor/flute; Fortunato Occhino, tenor/clarinet; Colin Urbina, baritone/bass clarinet; Jeff Rupert, tenor/composer; TRUMPET: Alex Kastner, Joshua Mercado, Robert Schmidt, & Phebe Rich; TROMBONE: Daniel Parrish, Samuel Dufresne, Gabe Funk, & Benjamin Fuller.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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