John Cocuzzi Quintet • Swingin' & Burnin'

Review by Dave Nathan

John Cocuzzi is a versatile, talented multi-instrumentalist jazz musician who, with his quintet, stretches out for an entertaining 60 minutes-plus of solid, straight ahead jazz on this very good album. A Washington, D.C. native, Cocuzzi gained an appreciation of jazz at an early age listening to his record collection and to his father, who was a percussionist with the U.S. Marine Band. Initially studying piano and then drums after hearing Lionel Hampton, vibes were added to his arsenal of instruments. Swingin' and Burnin' revisits the small group swing of the '30s and '40s popularized by Benny Goodman, Hampton, Artie Shaw, and others. Cocuzzi adds his own flavor along with some artful arrangements to such warhorses from the past as "Slipped Disc," "Benny's Bugle," and "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You." On the latter, Cocuzzi shows off his vocal skills along with a boogie woogie piano. "Broadway" epitomizes the adroit swinging of the quintet, with each member of the group getting a chance to show their wares during the seven minutes they devote to this Teddy McRae/Bill Bird melody. The New Orleans idiom is represented on the CD as well with "What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?" This tune, a favorite of Louis Armstrong, is done slow drag featuring muted vibes' mallet by Cocuzzi working with a very soulful clarinet by Allan Vaché. This track is one of the highlights of the album.

This session is in no way limited to up beat "swingin' and burnin'" pieces. There's some pretty slow stuff here as well. "Ghost of A Chance" features electrically enhanced Cocuzzi vibes, coupled with some imaginative bass by John Previti. "Cheek to Cheek" belongs to veteran Washington D.C. guitar player, Steve Abshire. Abshire, who has graced the albums of jazz diva Ronnie Wells, plays in a calm, flowing fashion bringing out the best this lovely melody has to offer. "Things Ain't What They Used to Be', another slow piece, spotlights a bluesy Cocuzzi piano with Big John Maher's drums laying a solid foundation. Vaché and Cocuzzi, on clarinet and vibes respectively, combine on a striking"Comes Love" with Vaché's impulsive and sometimes wailing clarinet recalling Artie Shaw's 1949 rendition. The album's coda brings Cocuzzi's cheerful voice to the mike again in a pretty rendition of "'Tis Autumn" accompanying himself on the piano and showing a romantic side with the ivories. This is an agreeable ending to a highly recommended album.

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Reseña de Dave Nathan

John Cocuzzi es un versátil y talentoso músico de jazz multi-instrumentalista que, con su quinteto, se extiende durante más de 60 minutos de jazz sólido y directo en este muy buen álbum. Nacido en Washington, D.C., Cocuzzi aprendió a apreciar el jazz a una edad temprana escuchando su colección de discos y a su padre, que era percusionista de la Banda de los Marines de los Estados Unidos. Inicialmente estudiando piano y luego batería después de escuchar a Lionel Hampton, las vibraciones se añadieron a su arsenal de instrumentos. Swingin' and Burnin' revisa el swing de pequeños grupos de los años 30 y 40 popularizado por Benny Goodman, Hampton, Artie Shaw y otros. Cocuzzi añade su propio sabor junto con algunos arreglos artísticos a caballos de guerra del pasado como "Slipped Disc", "Benny's Bugle" y "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You". En esta última, Cocuzzi muestra sus habilidades vocales junto con un piano de boogie woogie. "Broadway" personifica el hábil swing del quinteto, y cada miembro del grupo tiene la oportunidad de mostrar su mercancía durante los siete minutos que dedican a esta melodía de Teddy McRae/Bill Bird. El idioma de Nueva Orleans también está representado en el CD con "What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?" Esta melodía, una de las favoritas de Louis Armstrong, es un lento arrastre con un mazo de vibráfono mudo de Cocuzzi y un clarinete muy conmovedor de Allan Vaché. Este tema es uno de los más destacados del álbum.

Esta sesión no se limita de ninguna manera a las piezas "swingin' and burnin'". Hay algunas cosas bastante lentas aquí también. "Ghost of A Chance" presenta vibraciones Cocuzzi eléctricamente mejoradas, junto con un imaginativo bajo de John Previti. "Cheek to Cheek" pertenece al veterano guitarrista de Washington D.C., Steve Abshire. Abshire, que ha adornado los álbumes de la diva del jazz Ronnie Wells, toca de forma tranquila y fluida sacando lo mejor de esta encantadora melodía. "Things Ain't What They Used to Be", otra pieza lenta, resalta un piano Cocuzzi bluesero con la batería del Gran John Maher poniendo una sólida base. Vaché y Cocuzzi, en clarinete y vibráfono respectivamente, se combinan en un impactante "Comes Love" con el impulsivo y a veces lloroso clarinete de Vaché, recordando la interpretación de Artie Shaw en 1949. La coda del álbum vuelve a poner al micrófono la alegre voz de Cocuzzi en una bonita interpretación de "'Tis Autumn" acompañándose al piano y mostrando un lado romántico con los marfiles. Este es un final agradable para un álbum muy recomendado. 

 

 

 

cocuzzimusic ...

1. Benny's Bugle
2. Broadway
3. What did I do to be so black and blue?
4. Things Ain'T What They Used To Be
5. Crazy About My Baby
6. Slipped Disc
7. Cheek To Cheek
8. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
9. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
10. Lady Be Good
11. The Curse Of An Aching Heart
12. Comes Love
13. 'Tis Autumn

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