GREG BURROWS

LET’S NOT WAIT: THE MUSIC OF ED BONOFF

GreBu Records

Greg Burrows, drums/percussion; Al Orlo, guitar; Hiroshi Ymazaki, piano; Rich Zurkowski, double bass; Tim Armacost, tenor & soprano saxes; Gary Smulyan, baritone saxophone; John Fumasoli, trombone.

“Let’s Not Wait” is the second ever album dedicated exclusively to the compositions and arrangements of the legendary New York composer, arranger and drummer, Ed Bonoff.

In 2025, Bonoff is still working, composing and arranging. He plays his weekly gig at Arthur’s Tavern in Manhattan’s West Village, manning the drums with the Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band. In addition to drumming, Ed once worked as a social worker in the South Bronx to support his growing family.

Bonoff and Furrows are longtime friends. Their friendship extended over forty years. Accompanied by some of New York’s finest working jazz players, Greg Burrows’ group was assembled. They started rehearsing Ed Bonoff’s music in the spring of 2024.

Their album opens with “Piazza Navona” that sets the standard high as a minor-key swing number. The horns are the star of the show, supported powerfully by Greg Burrows’s awesome drum mastery.

You can really see his drums spotlighted on Track #2 called “Meatloaf and Margaux.”  Burrows opens the tune in a flurry of drum technique. I do love a baritone saxophone, and Gary Smulyan does not disappoint as he takes over the second chorus. Tim Armacost also shines on tenor saxophone. John Fumasoli steps stage center to deliver his own improvised trombone solo.  Then, the horns trade fours with Burrows busy drums. This piece swings non-stop.  The arrangement is fire!

The Ed Bonoff tunes all sound like jazz standards.  There are a few “Cover” songs thrown in for good measure like “Shout ‘Em, Aunt Tillie,” an Ellington composition from the 1930s.  It has a hot, New Orleans arrangement with the Rich Zurkowski double bass and Burrows drums driving the piece like a Mack truck.  Also, Greg Burrows adds a tribute medley, featuring the compositions of Ellington and Strayhorn. It’s very sexy.

This is an album that is beautifully produced, with the music of composer Ed Bonoff, fresh and played with excellence. Here is a small ensemble with a very big sound.

“His music is like a rare jewel that has remained relatively hidden and undiscovered. It just seemed wrong to me,” says Greg Burrows in his liner notes, explaining his inspiration to record Bonoff’s music.

I agree!

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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