Grooveyard
Origin, 2023
8/10
The conductor and arranger John La Barbera steers this New York City Big Band into hard-swinging territory, where the 4 arranged tunes and 6 originals are fleshed out with plenty of brass, winds and a stunning rhythm section.
The title track opens the listen with plenty of energy from the bright brass, before calmer bouts of grooves and Brandon Coleman’s precise drums that make an impression, and “My New Summer Samba” follows with a friskiness that benefits much from the flowing clarinets and Ryan Keberle’s animated trombone.
At the halfway point, “Tranesome” is full of melodic gestures via Pat La Barbera’s souful tenor sax, while “K’s Delight” places Brandon Lee on trumpet and Sam Sadigursky’s on tenor clarinet for the eloquent and adventurous album highlight.
The last two tracks, “Sweetness” and “Keiko’s Birthday March”, exit with much timeless interaction, where the former spotlights Andy Gutauskas’ flowing baritone bass clarinet and Mike Davis’ well timed trombone, and the latter meshes Clay Jenkins’ booming trumpet and Joe La Barbera’s swift drumming for a meticulous finish.
John La Barbera played an integral role in helping solidify the sounds of the Buddy Rich Band, Woody Herman and Bill Watrous, to name a few, and this big band effort is equally unforgettable.
Travels well with: Matt Otto- Umbra; Bobby Rozario- Spellbound