CLASSIC JAZZ BAND

FEATURING DAN BARRETT

CATAPULT CRS 99 001

Bent Persson (tpt /cnt/tbn/vcl); Jens "Jesse" Lindgren (tbn/vcl); Goran Ericksson (cl/as); Holger Gross (gtr/bj); Goran Lind (bs); Christer Ekhe (dr/vcl); Dan Barrett (tbn/tpt/vcl) on * tracks. 1999: Sweden.

YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME / YOU SHOWED ME THE WAY* / LET’S CALL A HEART A HEART* / YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME* / BLUE FEELING* / THREE LITTLE WORDS / IT’S WONDERFUL / DARDANELLA / WILLOW TREE* / PERSIAN RUG / LOU-EASY-AN-I-A / C’EST SI BON / BLUES MY NAUGHTY SWEETIE GIVES TO ME* / WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE? / MY GAL

SAL / GOODBYE BLUES. TT 64: 01.

Rewiewed by Michael Steinman for IAJRC Journal

Some listeners believe that jam session jazz is far superior to whatever a working band can create. It’s hard to disprove this, especially when the results were not recorded and became more miraculous in the retelling. Some jam sessions must have been astounding -- I regret that John Hammond wasn’t able to record Lester Young’s eighty-seven choruses of "Sweet Sue" in a Detroit club in the late 1930’s. Other sessions, however, might have been more enthusiastic than gratifying. Listeners who value spur-of-the-moment jazz above all other varieties tend to look pained when the words "rehearsal" and "arrangement" enter the conversation. But impromptu gatherings are not always inspiring, for they may rely on a limited repertoire and tested formulas so no one gets lost. These days, for reasons that have everything to do with economics, working jazz bands are rare, informal sessions (on and off record) are the norm, and listeners feel lucky to get them.

The Classic Jazz Band’s inspired CD reminds us that a working jazz band has a special chemistry no jam session group can equal. You may not have heard of this Swedish band, but their low profile has everything to do with marketing, nothing to do with their merit. Where did they come from? In 1986, the guitarist Holger Gross brought together four friends from Kustbandet (the stomping band that recreated Luis Russell, early Ellington, and others, to perfection) to back Ken Colyer for concerts at the Stockholm Jazz and Blues Festival. When the festival was over, Gross got the astonishing Bent Persson to take Colyer’s place. And, as trombonist "Jesse" Lindgren writes in his notes, "We have had a great time throughout these years performing at festivals, club dates, radio and TV-shows, private parties in Sweden and abroad." Obviously, they have learned a great deal about ensemble playing while having a good time. Their happiness is evident throughout this CD, where the invaluable Dan Barrett appears on six selections. Typically, Barrett has chosen to be an equal member of the band, not a "guest star" who solos at length while the band sits it out.

The sextet displays marvelous "tonation and phrasing," varied and always danceable tempos, imaginative dynamics. As well, the arranging touches contributed by the horn players and Barrett make for happy variety, not only from track to track, but from chorus to chorus. It’s hard to believe that there are only six musicians here, for the CJB often sounds like a little big band. No one will miss a piano, because the rhythm section is so good. Ekhe’s drumming is subtle yet propulsive; Gross is a fine guitarist and banjoist (with a truly melodic sound on that treacherous instrument); Lind, whether playing two beats or four to the bar, could swing seventeen men. The front line is equally compelling: Lindgren is a melodist who would have fit perfectly in the trombone section of any great Thirties band; Ericksson is a gentle-sounding altoist in a style nearly lost when Bird flew in, and a clarinetist who understands the instrument’s singing qualities. (Too many mainstream clarinetists apparently want only to play faster, higher, louder -- they should take lessons from Ericksson.) And Persson is a marvel. Although he can reproduce Armstrong breathtakingly, he can summon up any number of other influences while sounding quite like himself.

The repertoire is consistently rewarding: familiar songs seem fresh, and songs associated with classic recordings aren’t museum pieces but become new homages to the originals. On "You Took Advantage Of Me" and "Dardanella," for instance, it’s clear that everyone is thinking about Bix, circa 1927, but these are versions Bix might have recorded with the ideal Gang. "You Took Advantage Of Me" memorably keeps its chase chorus — now between Lindgren and Barrett. Both performances are positively ennobled by Goran Lind’s evocation of Steve Brown’s subtle velocity. "Willow Tree" and "Persian Rug" summon up the Louisiana Sugar Babes with nary a pipe organ or bassoon in sight, and "It’s Wonderful" is Persson’s convincing version of Decca blue-label 1937 Louis. "Blue Feeling" reveals Persson as a capable trombonist — what sextet can you think of that can boast a trombone trio? "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me" shows off Barrett’s unforced, lyrical trumpet, which reminds me of Sweets Edison and Bobby Hackett at once, no small accomplishment. On "Let’s Call A Heart A Heart," Barrett sings in his easy, unaffected style. The other vocals on this CD, by members of the band, are relaxed, idiomatic, never intrusive.

From the first chorus of "You Were Meant For Me," which suggests celestial dance music, to the close of "Goodbye Blues," there isn’t a dull note or an uninspired solo on this recording. The only fault I can find with this CD is that its presentation and packaging are modest to the point of being mysterious. Only Barrett’s name appears on the outer sleeve, and "Blue Feeling" might mislead a listener into assuming an overall melancholy, which is hardly the case. Joy, rather, is the theme. Holger Gross has said that the Classic Jazz Band’s next CD will feature work by the late, lamented Tom Baker and the gifted Orange Kellin. I look forward to a long series of rewarding recordings. (Their earlier CD — "I’m Glad," for the Stomp Off label, where they back the cornetist Tom Pletcher — is a rare pleasure, too.) Finding "Blue Feeling" in the local CD emporium may be daunting, but don’t miss this one. Or you may e-mail Holger Gross at holger.gross@svensktlimtra.se for ordering information. Check out his website, too.