Bill Warfield and the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra Smile

Bill Warfield and the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra
Smile
Planet Arts

 Jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator, Bill Warfield, was a student of the late Lew Soloff. After Warfield gave up the trumpet when he lost his front teeth after an auto accident, Soloff became an inspiration. After he heard Soloff's solo on Blood Sweat & Tears recording "Spinning Wheel," Warfield regained the desire to play trumpet again. In addition to playing in various bands, the Baltimore native studied for four years at Towson State with Hank Levy, an arranger for Don Ellis and Stan Kenton.

Moving to New York in 1980, he began subbing in the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, playing and arranging for the Bill Kirchner Nonet, and copying music for Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, and others, as well as earning a master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music. He has been teaching since 1987, including stints at Brooklyn College, Towson State University, and the University of North Florida. He joined the faculty at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1996.

Warfield is currently involved in several bands, including the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra, a little big band. Besides Warfield (leader, arranger, trumpet, and flugelhorn), players on this recording are John Eckert (trumpet and flugelhorn), Andrew Gould (alto sax and flute), David Rickenberg (tenor sax, baritone sax, flute, and clarinet), Matt Hong (baritone sax, alto sax, and flute), Blue Lou Marini (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute, and clarinet), Matt Chertkoff (guitar), Cecilia Coleman (piano), Paul Shaffer (Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes piano), Steve Count (acoustic and electric bass), and Scott Neumann (drums). Jane Stuart is the band's vocalist, with singers Julie Michels and Carolyn Leonhardt, each guesting on one song. Marini and Shaffer are special guests on this recording.

With a mix of what Dave Stryker might call 8-track classics, assorted other songs, and the leader's intriguing originals, Warfield leads a band on a thoroughly engaging and funky program. [The recording is bookended by two versions of “Smile,” one featuring vocalist Michels and the closing one a duet with Shaffer's airy electric piano providing a setting for Warfield's lovely trumpet. ]While there is a superb cover of a Weather Report recording, "Cucumber Summer," Warfield's original "Mad Dog 245" will also evoke the legendary band with its mesmerizing bass riff and Rickenberg's riveting tenor sax solo." Then there is a stone-cold funky rendition of Booker T & the MG's "Hip-Hug-Her," with Hong's down-in-the-alley baritone sax solo, the leader's fiery trumpet, and Shaffer's chicken-fried organ.

Bobby Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" is taken uptown with a marvelous vocal from Stuart and Marini's fervent tenor sax. Stuart also is featured on a cover of the Gladys Knight hit, "I've Got to Use My Imagination." John Eckert contributes the blistering trumpet on this last tune. Carolyn Leonhardt is heard on "Rainbow Connection' from "The Muppet Movie." Pianist Coleman's delicate solo intro leads to a lush horn setting for her captivating vocal.

Arguably the standout track is Warfield's reharmonization of "Theme From Law and Order," with a guitar chorus before Marini's Coltrane-ish soprano sax solo as the band sings a chant based on the "Acknowledgment" section of "A Love Supreme." The chant segues into the band's accompaniment to the climax of Marini's solo before the group restates the theme. It is a sterling performance among the imaginative, first-rate performances heard on "Smile." "Smile" is a superb recording of straight-ahead jazz that should also have considerable appeal to a general listening audience.

I received a review copy from a publicist. Here Bill Warfield and the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra perform "Hip-Hug-Her."

Vaneese Thomas Sings Blues For My Father

The youngest daughter of the legendary Rufus Thomas, Vaneese Thomas, like her sister Carla and brother Marvel, been involved in the music business dating backing to singing back-up vocals for Stax. After college she relocated to New York where she was a session singer and songwriter.

She has issued several albums that showcase her singing and songwriting, and the latest is “Blues For My Father” (Seque Records). It had been five years since her last album “Soul Sisters Volume 1” (Segue Records), where she resurrected classic soul recordings from the likes of Bettye Swan, Tina Turner, Etta James and her sister Carla. This new recording, as indicated by the title, has her delving more into blues and she contributed ten originals as well as handles two covers, one of which is from her late father.

Produced by Thomas and her husband Wayne Warnecke, there is a variety of musicians appearing on this but the core is Buddy Williams on drums, Will Lee on bass, Robbie Kondor on piano and Tash Neal on guitars and Warnecke on percussion. There are appearances by (among others) Marvel Thomas and Paul Shaffer on organ, Ron Mathes and Jeff Mironov on guitars, horns led by Tim Ouimette and Perry Gartner and Shawn Pelton on drums.

What stands out on “Blues For My Father” is Thomas’ vocals. Rob Bowman, who penned the liner notes “Vaneese’s masterful control of phrasing, breath, intonation and timbre.” In other words she can flat out sing with a display of vocal dynamics as well as power to leave a strong impression on the listeners. She belts out about having the blues sitting at the station waiting for the train to bring her lover back on the opening “Southern Central Blues.” Then she gets sassy celebrating her man who plays no tricks and “10 X The Man You Are.“

The Memphis funk of “Wrong Turn” is a delightful duet with sister Carla (while Marvel adds organ) with some punchy horns in the backing and a crisp guitar solo from Jeff Mironov. “Wrap You Arms Around Me” has a bit of southern rock feel as Tash Neal is on dobro with Mironov again on guitar. Part of the melody here is evocative of the Ricky Allen recording “Cut You Loose,” although her lyric is telling her man to allow her to be strength for him and "wrap your arms around me and never let go.”

The centerpiece of this release is a duet with her father, “Can’t Ever Let You Go.” Like Natalie Cole did with her recordings with her deceased father, Vaneese adds her vocal to the original Rufus Thomas recording. Husband Warnecke pulled out Rufus’ vocal from the original analog masters, added some exhortations from other Thomas recordings, then provided a contemporary backing and guitar and sax solos along with Vaneese improvising around her father’s vocals.

Other highlights on this set include “Corner Of Heartache And Pain,” a straight, slow blues about the pain felt after her man left with. Paul Shaffer on organ. “Love’ Em And Leave’ Em Behind” is a soulful number where Vaneese tells a heartbreaker she has seen her friends in too much pain but he won’t do the same to her. “Southern Girl” is a celebration of her roots and the south with Kirk Whalum taking the sax solo. There is also a straight cover of John Fogerty’s “The Old Man Down The Road” before the disc closes with a wonderfully sung lament, “Blue Ridge Blues” backed simply by Rob Mathes’ guitars.

“Blues For My Father” is a showcase of Vaneese Thomas’ craft as a songwriter and her soul-shaking vocals and should have considerable appeal among blues and southern soul audiences.

This review was written in Fall 2014 and appeared in issue 361 of the Jazz and Blues Report (issue 357). She will be appearing at the Pennsylvania Blues Festival this coming weekend (July 26). Here she is performing live.