Standard-ized!
CAP, 2023
8/10
The trombone extraordinaire Eric Goletz returns with his 3rd release in 3 years, and it’s an imaginative effort that brings modern jazz standards with a very stylish appeal that welcomes Don Braden’s soprano sax plus many other players.
“Now’s The Time” leads with Goletz’s animated brass alongside Steven Johns’ agile drumming and Brian Glassman’s intricate bass in the lively jazz climate, and “Just In Time” follows with a calmer pace that benefits much from playful bass plucking and soulful trombone prowess.
Moving along, the stylish “Train Shuffle” showcases Jim Ridl’s bouncy piano and Henry Heinitsh’s strategic guitar amid much melody, while “The Summer Knows” lands in balladry and has Goletz’s handling poetic piano alongside the dreamy, elegant strings.
Nearing the end, the lush, rich “Windmills Of Your Mind” places Lajuan Carter on vocals and Marco Panascia on electric bass for the album’s best, and “Overjoyed” exits with a sublime appeal of stirring trombone that truly does justice to the Stevie Wonder classic.
A listen that’s never short on funk, Latin, swing and jazz ideas, Goletz spent 30 years as a composer and sideman, and he brings that experience to interpretations of work by Charlie Parker, Horace Silver and Michel Legrand, among many others, that you’ll likely enjoy just as much as the originals.
Travels well with: Lakecia Benjamin- Phoenix; Wayne Shorter- Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis