MATT WHITE

DOLLY

Adhyaropa Records

Matt White, cornet/arrangements; Liz Kelley, vocals/vocal effects; Tim Fischer, guitars; Demetrius Doctor, organ; Colleen Clark, drums.

South Carolina-based trumpeter, composer and arranger, Matt White has a passion for Southern musical history and music. Surprisingly, this album reimagines Dolly Parton’s early songwriter’s catalog, with the help of an ensemble grounded in jazz, gospel, country/western music and regional folk songs. Until I heard this album, I could not imagine Dolly Parton’s blend of Country/Western music turned into jazz arrangements.

Opening with “Down from Dover,” first recorded by Parton in 1970, the tune tells the story of an unwed, young woman, pregnant with her boyfriend’s child. It’s unacceptable to her family. She is waiting for her lover to return from Dover, but her parents send the girl away to give birth ot the child. As always, Dolly Parton’s lyrics express emotional stories that touch the heart.

After the lyrics unfold, the instrumental music itself is strongly produced in a jazz vein. This is in spite of the fact that vocalist Liz Kelley sounds quite country while introducing the Parton song.  Guitarist Tim Fischer makes a dynamic, jazzy statement during his solo, pushed forward by Colleen Clark’s drums. Matt White follows suit on cornet, completely changing the mood from the country folk song to a jazz production in a wonderful way.  Demetrius Doctor adds organ to the mix. I hardly recognized the country folk tune during their instrumental improvised arrangement.  After the rich improvisation by this quintet, Kelley returns to tell us that the girl loses the baby and the boyfriend never returns from Dover.

This album also recognizes and ‘covers’ the hit Parton record “Jolene”, reharmonizing and adding asymmetrical phrasing with lots of improvisation.  The song floats into a jazz vein seamlessly.

White’s recent work has clearly been influenced by deep appreciation of American Southern music, particularly the Gullah Geechee communities of the Coastal Carolinas. What an interesting and unusual determination to contemporize the folk songs that Dolly Parton penned and turn them into jazz productions.  Matt White’s research into Gullah song traditions is rooted in this music, but with his arrangement, that foundation melts into the African American created music called jazz. Jazz is the only original classical music created in the United States. This recording blends Americana into a jazz package that is extremely creative.

White currently serves as Professor, Chair of Jazz Studies and Director of the Center for Southern African American Music at the University of South Carolina’s School of Music.  He and his talented ensemble cover several of the Grammy Winning composer, lyricist and singer’s work, preserving Dolly Parton’s melodies, but expanding on them during each instrumental portion of the songs. Matt White transposes the simplicity of those songs to jazzy works of art.  The songs included are “My Blue Tears” the popular “9 to 5” from the movie of the same title, “The Bridge,” “The Carroll County Accident” and “Little Bird.”

Matt White makes a deeply personal statement that celebrates his South Carolina roots in both country/western music and his infatuation with jazz.  Mixing the two musical genres illuminates how easily a well-written composition can be translated to another musical form. It’s like jazz musicians transforming a Bach composition into a jazz waltz.

This talented trumpeter combines historical southern roots with modern day arrangements and offers the listener a hybrid blossom; a brand new musical flower.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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