AMSTEL JAZZ ENSEMBLE

FIRST STATE BLUES

Summit Records

Dave Bozenhard, guitar; Miles Brown, bass; Tom Palmer, drums/piano; Bruce Tychinski, trombone; Todd Groves, soprano, alto, & tenor saxophones/flute.

The Amstel Jazz Ensemble consists of faculty members of the University of Delaware. The Amstel Jazz Ensemble is actually named for a street in Newark, Delaware where the university’s music building is located.  This group was established decades ago, and although the personnel has changed over the years, the direction and creativity of the music continue to grow.  Recognized for its high artistry and collaborative spirit, they blend traditional jazz with their own original composition.  Their choice of music is always guided by the legacy of Clifford Brown, (a Delaware native) and one of jazz’s most celebrated trumpeters.

On this recording they have arranged and included three Clifford Brown tunes including the opening number, “Joy Spring.”  Dave Bozenhard opens the arrangement on guitar.  Then Todd Groves takes over on saxophone. Bozenhard re-enters after the saxophone solo is done, offering his own improvisational exploration of the Clifford Brown jazz standard. Bassist, Miles Brown, trades fours with drummer Tom Palmer. Each musician showcases their own creativity within the four-bar structure.

The group’s guitarist has written a tune called “Whitecaps” to celebrate the frothy, white crests that form on waves when they break under the force of windy weather. In Delaware’s coastal waters, these whitecaps are especially common.

“Tiny Capers” is another Clifford Brown tune.  It features Bruce Tychinski on trombone at the top of the song, followed by a swinging solo from Bozenhard’s guitar.

The Todd Groves composition, “Users of This Room” was inspired by Post-it notes Groves appropriately stuck on the UD classrooms to instruct students on what to do and NOT to do.  The two harmonious horns introduce the melody, while Tom Palmer lays down the tempo and holds the energy in perfect place on his trap drums.  The first soloist is Brown, the bass player.  He skips along and improvises his way over the medium tempo, swing arrangement.

Each of these faculty players have composed and contributed to this very ‘swinging’ production. On a tune called “You’ll Never Have More Time Than You Do Now” the quintet collaborated and improvised in the studio, creating this music on-the-spot. The title refers to the wisdom that is passed from professor to student, with hopes of inspiring those young adults to higher heights.

“First State Blues” by Todd Groves changes the pace and places the Blues into the mix. This tune is meant to celebrate the great State of Delaware.  They close by playing the University of Delaware Alma Mater in a beautiful, reharmonized, jazzy way featuring drummer, Tom Palmer, playing piano. It’s beautiful!

There is something for everyone on this album of fine music and great ensemble playing.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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