ABE POLLACK

UNPRECEDENTED TIME

Independent Label

Abe Pollack, composer/arranger/bass/electric keyboard/guitar; Brad Brose, guitar; Uri Zelig, drums; Albert Behar, accordion/vocals; Marcus Millius, vocals; Jonathan Greene, clarinet/alto saxophone; Ryan Weisheit, tenor and alto saxophone/flute.

Bassist, Abe Pollack opens the first album track with what we used to call ‘slap-bass.’  The song is titled “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise” and the arrangement sounds Polka influenced. Abe is celebrating the 1920 and 1930 swing era of music on this release. He has arranged his original songs with a very historic twist.  Using the support of Jonathan Greene’s tasty clarinet and Ryan Weisheit’s reed instruments including flute, tenor and alto saxophone work, his bandmates brighten this historic musical journey.  Additionally, Abe adds Albert Behar’s accordion to the mix.  It colors his tune, “I Fell in Love Once Again” and on track #5, Behar (the accordion player) croons the lyrics of “A Night in With You.” This song and his vocal arrangement remind me of the old black and white movies of the 1930s and 40s. Pollack has composed ten of the twelve songs on this album. On his composition, “Valse D’Urgence,” guitarist Brad Brose makes a memorable artistic statement on his instrument.  This arrangement reminds me of the musical era that celebrates Django Reinhardt.

On his composition, “The Low Bono Blues” Abe Pollack steps into the spotlight to solo on his bass.  “A Little Too Serious” is a minor blues with Middle Eastern overtones.  Abe Pollack incorporates the Gypsy swing style into his production, and with the addition of vocalists Marcus Millius and Albert Behar, he offers a sample of various historic jazz styles.

Quite a bit of Abe’s music is tinged with Israeli culture, soaked in jazzy minor modes. For example, Uri Zelig shuffles the rhythm beneath the accordion solo during “Gotta Go.”   They also cover the beautiful standard “Lullaby of the Leaves” as a bolero, but the key is wrong for the vocalist.  It’s way too low for him to show the sweet parts of his voice.  They close with “Lullwater Blues,” featuring a cut time rhythm. “Unprecedented Time” will be released on April 5, 2024.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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