Larry Newcomb Quartet With Bucky Pizzarelli
Living Tribute
Essential Messenger

Blessed with a marvelous tone and a swinging melodic sense, guitarist Larry Newcomb's latest album is a tribute to some individuals who had a significant impact on him as a guitarist such as the late Dick Hall, Jim Hall, and Bucky Pizzarelli (who Newcomb studied under and adds his acoustic archtop guitar, mostly playing rhythm in a Freddie Green fashion to 7 or the 11 tracks) and in other ways as his family. He adds comments to various selections that link the song to a particular individual or individuals. Newcomb and his quartet of pianist Eric Olsen, bassist Dmitri Kolesnik and drummer Jimmy Madison are also joined by vocalist Leigh Jonaitis on two selections.

Newcomb captivates with his beautiful tone, single note lines and carefully placed chords with his swinging backing band starting with a sonorous "I Remember You," as well as the Cole Porter gem "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," the Jim Hall recording of which inspired him to become a jazz guitarist. Jim Hall's duet with Ron Carter of "Alone Together," inspired the rendition here with Kolesnik's bass being the dominant solo voice with Newcomb's only solo judiciously employing chords against a spare backing. "Morningside Heights," one of Newcomb's seven originals, is a driving blues with Pizzarelli adding a short, rhythmically emphatic chord-rooted solo after effervescent solos from Newcomb and Olsen. Another original, "Band of Brothers," dedicated to his sons, is a lovely waltz with Olsen's adding deft accompaniments along with a solo complementing the leader's playing on a charming original. Jonaitis adds her lovely vocal to "One Heart Ain't As Great As Two," with Pizzarelli's rhythmic chording anchoring this performance to which Newcomb adds pithy obligatos to her vocal, as well as "Love Is Here," with its breezy samba groove and Newcomb's understated support and charming solo.

Much of the charm of the performances on "Living Tribute," are because of the restraint often shown along with the invention and lyricism manifest throughout in the solos and the solid ensemble playing. This is a jewel of a recording of swinging, guitar jazz.

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the July-August 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 373). Here are the two guitarists performing "Swing To Bop."

Dyad Plays Puccini

Dyad is a partnership between alto saxophonist Lou Caimano and pianist Eric Olsen and the two have a new recording of duets Dyad Plays Puccini (Ringwood Records). Olsen's wife, Operatic singer Pamela mentioned to him that Caimano’s alto saxophone reminded her of an opera singer and this fact led to this duet recording which fuses the lovely melodies of the great opera composer Puccini with the jazz instincts and inventions of Dyad. Each contributed more than simply their play as Olsen contributed seven arrangements and Caimano three.

While I am not overly familiar with Puccini’s operas, there was instant recognition of Musetta’s Waltz from La Boheme, and one is struck by the lovely, almost clarinet tone of Caimano along with Olsen’s stately accompaniment and his own lyrical solo. Other of the songs the dup interpret may be less familiar to my ears but the performances are equally enchanting and one can hear echoes of his music in more contemporary music. Portions of the rendition from of Ch’ella mi credo (from La Fanciulla del West”) evoke Paul Simon’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, and lead me to wonder if Simon was a Puccini fan in his youth. Caimano’s arrangement and very vocalized playing here certainly leaves a strong impression on the listener. Their jaunty rendition of the Act I Overture for Madame Butterfly contrasts with the delicate, wistful Che gelida manna, although both are beautifully performed in their own manner with some exquisite interplay between the two.

Puccini left us a body f some of the most memorable and lovely melodies in all of music and the marvelous jazz duo interpretations from Lou Caimano and Eric Olsen make Dyad Plays Puccini one of the most intriguing and delightful surprises to come along.

I received my review copy from a publicist.  Here is a selection from this recording.