Jack Bowers By JACK BOWERS
August 1, 1998
When one has no idea what to envision, what ensues can sometimes be a pleasant surprise - which is exactly the case with drummer Greg Williamson's new release, Swing Your Big Head. From the instrumentation and (some) song titles, I was half expecting to hear a Dixieland group. What I heard instead was a pretty competent mainstream sextet from the Seattle area whose program gives new meaning to the word "eclectic." There are eight compositions by Williamson, two by Greg Schroeder, others by Miles Davis, Billy Strayhorn, Thad Jones, Hank Mobley and Ed Heyman/Victor Young (the lone standard, "When I Fall in Love"). Williamson's notion is to paint "sound pictures" (a frenetic Harlem jam session in "Duke's Jungle," a strident street scene "Outside N'Orleans," an intriguing circus "Sideshow," the "fractured" fairy tale "Ode to Three Mice Without Tails"), and he succeeds admirably in doing so within a Jazz framework (the familiar "Three Blind Mice," played as a dirge, is especially effective with the horns scurrying blindly to and fro in the middle as they are chased by the butcher's drums - er, feet). The closer, "Willy Ride," a funky shuffle, embodies a hint of "Try to Remember" from the legendary off-Broadway production, The Fantasticks. While Williamson and his colleagues aren't "name" players, they are very good ones - you need only listen to the more familiar numbers ("Dig," "Lush Life," Three and One," "Out of Joe's Bag," "When I Fall in Love"), on which comparisons to others are perhaps more easily drawn, to confirm that. The playing is first-class, and Williamson's colorful charts are right on the money. Any doubts about pianist Fuller's ability are swiftly erased on "Willy's Ballad," which he plays unaccompanied. Fuller then sparkles as brightly on the up-tempo intro to "Baby Weener Dog Walk," whose unusual title masks a headlong Woody Herman-like groove on which everyone swings like crazy. The front-liners - Mazzio, Dickerson and Marcus - are consistently sharp and engaging, as is the rhythm section of Fuller, Holloway and Williamson. Although an audience was present for the recording session, they applaud only once, after "Out of Joe's Bag." Guess they couldn't help themselves. As for me, I was applauding (silently) after every number. A pleasant surprise? Yes indeed. It's gratifying to hear ensembles of this caliber bearing the modern Jazz torch in Seattle or anywhere else.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/swing-your-big-head-greg-williamson-pony-boy-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php
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Jack Bowers por JACK BOWERS
1 de agosto de 1998
Cuando uno no tiene ni idea de qué imaginar, lo que sigue puede ser a veces una agradable sorpresa - que es exactamente el caso del nuevo lanzamiento del baterista Greg Williamson, Swing Your Big Head. Por la instrumentación y (algunos) títulos de las canciones, estaba medio esperando escuchar un grupo de Dixieland. Lo que escuché en su lugar fue un sexteto convencional bastante competente del área de Seattle cuyo programa da un nuevo significado a la palabra "ecléctico". Hay ocho composiciones de Williamson, dos de Greg Schroeder, otras de Miles Davis, Billy Strayhorn, Thad Jones, Hank Mobley y Ed Heyman/Victor Young (el único estándar, "When I Fall in Love"). La idea de Williamson es pintar "imágenes sonoras" (una frenética jam session de Harlem en "Duke's Jungle", una estridente escena callejera "Outside N'Orleans", un intrigante circo "Sideshow", el "fracturado" cuento de hadas "Oda a los tres ratones sin cola"), y lo logra admirablemente en un marco de Jazz (el conocido "Three Blind Mice", tocado como un canto de la muerte, es especialmente efectivo con los cuernos corriendo ciegamente de un lado a otro en el medio mientras son perseguidos por los tambores del carnicero - er, pies). El más cercano, "Willy Ride", un funky shuffle, encarna un toque de "Try to Remember" de la legendaria producción off-Broadway, The Fantasticks. Aunque Williamson y sus colegas no son jugadores de "nombres", son muy buenos - sólo hay que escuchar los números más familiares ("Dig", "Lush Life", "Three and One", "Out of Joe's Bag", "When I Fall in Love"), en los que las comparaciones con otros son quizás más fáciles de hacer, para confirmarlo. El juego es de primera clase, y los coloridos gráficos de Williamson están a la orden del día. Cualquier duda sobre la habilidad del pianista Fuller se borra rápidamente en "Willy's Ballad", que toca sin acompañamiento. Fuller entonces brilla con la introducción de "Baby Weener Dog Walk", cuyo inusual título enmascara una melodía de Woody Herman en la que todo el mundo se balancea como un loco. Los protagonistas - Mazzio, Dickerson y Marcus - son consistentemente agudos y atractivos, al igual que la sección rítmica de Fuller, Holloway y Williamson. Aunque el público estuvo presente en la sesión de grabación, sólo aplaudieron una vez, después de "Out of Joe's Bag". Supongo que no pudieron evitarlo. En cuanto a mí, aplaudía (en silencio) después de cada número. ¿Una agradable sorpresa? Sí, en efecto. Es gratificante escuchar a conjuntos de este calibre con la antorcha de Jazz moderno en Seattle o en cualquier otro lugar.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/swing-your-big-head-greg-williamson-pony-boy-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php
Tracks:
1 - Dig - 4:27
2 - Rose Hips - 5:14
3 - Duke's Jungle - 4:22
4 - Outside N'Orleans - 3:50
5 - Sideshow - 5:03
6 - Lush Life - 6:55
7 - Jazz March - 5:58
8 - Ode To Three Mice Without Tails - 3:10
9 - Three And One - 3:43
10 - Ricky's Manhattan Mambo Calypso - 3:37
11 - Out Of Joe's Bag - 5:07
12 - Willy's Ballad - 2:18
13 - Baby Weener Dog Walk - 2:42
14 - When I Fall In Love - 3:44
15 - Willy Ride (Do The) - 5:48
Credits:
Acoustic Bass – Larry Holloway
Arranged By – Greg Williamson
Art Direction – Karen Hansen
Drums – Greg Williamson
Engineer – Reed Ruddy
Mastered By – Mark Guenther
Piano – Larry Fuller
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Bryan Dickerson
Trombone, Euphonium [Double Bell] – Dan Marcus
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Paul Mazzio
Label: Pony Boy Records – PB50110 2
Released: 1997
Genre: Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/Greg-Williamson-The-Big-Bad-Groove-Society-Swing-Your-Big-Head/release/6696330
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