PETE McGUINNESS JAZZ ORCHESTRA

MIXED BAG

Summit Records

Scott Neumann on the drums announces the first track of this album with flash and power.  When the horns join in, it reminds me of a Broadway production. The orchestra offers an exciting introduction, preceding the part where the curtains are pulled back to reveal the vocal star.  Now the spotlight splashes all over Pete McGuiness, a jazz singer, who is also the bandleader, composer, and arranger on this album.  McGuinness is also a tenured professor of Jazz Arranging at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

Pete McGuinness was originally a very talented trombone player.  In recent years, he fought a neurological disorder that gradually made playing his lifelong instrument impossible.  This led him to focus more on composing, conducting his orchestra and singing.

“For me, variety has always been the spice of life.  I like to explore different aspects of my musical proclivities.  I don’t like the feeling of being pigeonholed into a certain bag, regardless of whether it’s ‘old school’ or new school.  So, I took a lot of chances on this album,” McGuinness explained.

This fourth album released by the Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra celebrates their 20^th Anniversary.  This album titled, “Mixed Bag” is their most ambitious offering to date. McGuinness and his group of stellar musicians cover everything from tunes written by Cole Porter, Johnny Mandel and Thelonious Monk, to original music composed by McGuinness.

Pete McGuinness has a luscious, sincere, impressive vocal style.  He sings like a horn. His tone and style are memorably satin-smooth.  On “From This Moment On” he swings with the strength of Hank Aaron. He hits this tune out the park!

On the Mandel ballad, “Where Do You Start?” he’s vocally poignant and believable. Pete McGuinness has a naturally smooth ability to scat, along with perfect pitch. He sounds sultry, while exploring his baritone voice on “So in Love.” It’s arranged as a slow Latin number and dedicated to his wife Joan.

Musically the orchestra is divine.  I love the horn harmonics on “Rebecca, composed by Chris Rogers (one of the band’s trumpeters). Chris solos on flugelhorn and Tom Christiansen is impressive during his tenor saxophone solo.  McGuinness has contributed four original songs to this project. “The Dark Hours” is dramatic, with the drums of Neumann propelling the orchestra forward. “Lilac Blues” is a pretty tune and features Mike Holober on piano, adding a touch of blues to his solo.  The McGuinness tune, “Down the Rabbit Hole” sounds like something that could be played behind a Bugs Bunny cartoon, perhaps where the farmer is chasing the rabbit through his garden. The horns blast like shotguns.

“The Sly Fox” is a tribute to Bill Holman’s composing skills.  This album is ripe with surprising arrangements, great standard songs, and wonderful original compositions. I love a great baritone sax solo.  Dave Rickenberg does a great job of giving me that on “Round Midnight.’ This orchestra is smokin’ hot!

THE PETE McGUINNESS JAZZ ORCHESTRA members are:  RHYTHM: Bill Charlap & Mike Holober, piano; Mark Wade, bass; Scott Neumann, drums; Peter McCann, guitar. SAXOPHONES/WOODWINDS: Dave Pietro, Mark Phaneuf, Tom Christensen, Rob Middleton & Dave Riekenberg. TRUMPETS/ FLUGELHORNS: Jon Owens & Tony Kadleck (leads); Hollis ‘Bud’ Burridge, & Chris Rogers. TROMBONES: Bruce Eidem, Mark Patterson, Matt Haviland & Jeff Nelson. Chris Kome, French horn; Tom Christense, clarinet; Steve Kenyon, flute. STRINGS: VIOLINS: Hiroko Taguchi (Concert Mistress), Whitney LaGrange, Annaliesa Place & Caleb Burhans. VIOLAS: Todd Low & Angela Pickett. CELLOS: Melissa Westgate & Alon Bisk. CONDUCTOR: Mike Holober. LEADER/COMPOSER/ARRANGER/VOCALIST: Pete McGuinness.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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