RICHARD BARATTA

ANOTHER KIND OF BIRD

Savant Records

Richard Baratta, drums/percussion; Bill O’Connell, piano/electric piano/arranger; Paul Bollenback, guitar; Michael Coetz, upright bass; Paul Rossman, congas/percussion; Vincent Herring & Abraham Burton, alto saxophone; Craig Handy, flute/soprano & tenor saxophone; Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone.

Once again joining forces with Grammy nominated pianist and arranger Bill O’Connell, dynamic drummer, Richard Baratta has rearranged some of the compositions we know and love by Charlie Parker. Opening with the notorious “Donna Lee” this ensemble of awesome musicians sweeps me up into a tornado of exciting harmonics and blustering rhythms. Baratta’s drums are stage center and brilliant. Right off the bat, the drum rolls race into my listening room with an explosive force.

I remember how exciting it was to hear “Bird” and Miles Davis sing that melodic line at the top of this Donna Lee tune when it was first released. This time, Richard Baratta is singing the excitement on his trap drums, along with a little help from his talented friends.

They follow this opening and remarkable arrangement with their ‘take’ on “Anthropology.”  Craig Handy is featured on tenor saxophone, along with the very accomplished Paul Bollenback who takes an exceptional solo on guitar.  Next solo is Bill O’Connell’s piano, with Baratta’s drums boxing with the piano notes, his hands slapping the drumsticks onto the skins with determination, punching the rhythm out bar by bar. There is a Latin feel to this arrangement, with a post-bop drive and a nod to the New Orleans Mardi Gras music.

Baratta has expanded his sextet and established a larger saxophone front line for this project.

“Deciding on a project is like deciding on a set list. Sometimes there’s perfect clarity and other times it’s daunting.  Music is ubiquitous, endless, and all-encompassing. Choosing a theme and compositions is challenging yet mysterious and settling on Parker wasn’t easy.  As incredible and prolific as he was, when I first began playing jazz, he wasn’t my go-to guy. … Pianist and arranger Bill O’Connell convinced me otherwise, … I believe his imaginative and captivating arrangements proved him right.  Thank you, Bill! … Simply, it’s hard to best the original.  Hopefully this project brings something original and exciting to you, as it did to me,” Baratta testified in his liner notes.

The ensemble’s sensitive and beautiful rendition of “Embraceable You” calms the spirit and tickles the imagination. It features the alto saxophone of Vincent Herring and some new, experimental chords.

On the other hand, Parker’s tune “Ah-Leu-Cha” is arranged with a kind of fusion jazz funk propelling it forward.  “Now’s the Time” (a familiar band ‘closer’ tune) shows the strength and excellence of Richard Baratta’s drum skills. I love this creative re-arranging!

Every fresh and unexpected arrangement brings a beautiful creativity to these historic and exquisitely written Charlie Parker tunes. Indeed, this album represents and celebrates “Another Kind of Bird” in an unforgettable way.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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