The 14 Jazz Orchestra - Cartoon Bebop

The 14 Jazz Orchestra - Cartoon Bebop - Dabon Music LLC

Here is the latest release from the South Florida Big Band under the leadership of composer/arranger Dan Bonsanti. About this 13 piece band's prior release, "The Future Ain't What it Used To Be," I wrote that it was "effervescent, contemporary big band recording with a nice selection of songs and strong musicianship." Bonsanti contributed two compositions, the title track and "A Day Tripper's Blues Buffet," which combined motifs from the Beatles number with a blues. Other pieces come from Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Airto Moreira, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and others. 

The personnel included folks recording out of their home studio in part because of the pandemic. He engaged folks from around the country, including trumpet players Bretty Murphey in Wisconsin and Jason Carder in Arizona, and trombonist Dana Teboe in Maine. Bonsanti also engaged drummer Peter Erskine in Los Angeles, and woodwinds players Ed Maina in Tennessee and Tom Tinko in New Jersey. Guitarists Lindsey Blair and Randy Bernsen, drummers Lee Levin, Jack Ciano and Mike Harvey, woodwinds players Ed Calle, Peter Brewer, and Neal Bonsanti (Bonsanti's brother), bassists Nicky Orta, Tim Smith, Jamie Ousley, and Matt Bonelli, pianists Mike Levine and Kemuel Roig, and percussionist Richard Bravo all recorded from different locations around Florida. Bonsanti credits his engineer, Mike Levine, for the superb job stitching together the various parts into a seamless whole.

Bonsanti's handsome arrangements add to the flavor of this recording. The title track starts the fun and is based on music from the old Rocky and His Friends cartoon with some motifs from Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk added. It has an attractive arrangement, a robust tenor sax solo from Ed Calle, Jason Carder's searing bop trumpet, and Ed Maina's fiery alto solo supported with fresh horn riffs. Also of note is Bonsanti's treatment Brazilian flavor of Moreira's "Misturada." There is sparkling piano from Kemuel Roig and Lee Levin's crisp drumming. Stanley Clarke's "Dayride" provides big band fusion funk with Lindsey Blair standing out on guitar and Calle taking it to the alley in tenor sax.

There are a couple of Chick Corea tunes heard here. "Got a Match?" is taken at a feverish tempo with searing Calle tenor sax and Ed Maina's effervescent piccolo. "Duende" is a lovely ballad with Neil Bonsanti (Dan's brother) on oboe. Herbie Hancock's "Driftin'" is a straight-ahead relaxed swinger with Maina tearing into a bluesy solo while Jason Carder's mute trumpet evokes Sweets Edison. Then there is Leslie Bricusse's lovely ballad, "When I Look Into Your Eyes," that was written for the movie "Dr. Doolittle." It has been recorded by Jack Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Nancy Wilson, and Tony Bennett. It is a showcase for Calle's warm tenor sax set against a beautiful setting. There is also a striking rendition of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes," with Randy Bernsen's enticing guitar and Mike Levine's spare, well-crafted piano solo.

The album closes with "A Day Tripper's Blues Buffet," which comes off like a mash-up of the Beatles' classic, "Night Train," and "Blues in the Night." This spirited performance features Ed Calle's rousing tenor sax and Lindsey Blair's blues-rock guitar. It caps another excellent big band recording from The 14 Jazz Orchestra.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a pre-pandemic performance of The 14 Jazz Orchestra.