New Shoes: Kind Of Blue At 60
Set Summit, 2020
8/10
Listen to New Shoes: Kind Of Blue At 60
A tribute to Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue recording, for its 60th anniversary Jon Schapiro has assembled a 17 piece orchestra to rework the legendary record, while also injecting 7 originals across the double disc.
The Schapiro original “Boiled Funk” starts the listen with a bouncy, playful setting before calming down as horns enter the unpredictable atmosphere, and “Foiled Funk”, by Roberta Piket, follows wth piano acrobatics in the highly intricate delivery.
Of the Miles Davis tunes, “So What” flows with dynamic interplay between the keys, brass and quick percussion as the trombone solos shine bright, while “Blue In Green” recruits vibrant big band melodies with much emphasis on saxophone as it moves from swing friendly to ballad territory. The best Davis selection and album highlight, “Flamenco Sketches”, then brings us nearly 10 minutes of spirited guitar work amid the bold brass fun.
Disc 2 highlights of the originals include the playful jazz and frisky rhythm of “Boiled In Funk 4: Old Feet, New Shoes”, as well as the busy, ultra melodic exit “Boiled Funk/Theme”, which benefits greatly from the agile trombones.
Both an arranger and composer and a current professor, Schapiro and company place a thriving new twist on classic tunes while also staying true to their creative spirit, and the originals display much ingenuity, too.
Travels well with: The Tnek Jazz Quintet- Plays The Music Of Sam Jones; Funk Shui NYC- Shark NATO On A Plane