Beautiful Friendship

Description

Product Description With a front line of Watrous, Christlieb & Saunders...what more could Gary Urwin's 18-piece Orchestra need...how about players like Grammy nominated Kim Richmond, or, maybe...The legendary Bobby Shew as a guest, heck, how about trumpet icon Wayne Bergeron in the lineup' This recording is an extremely powerful large ensemble recording! The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra is an eighteen-piece big band jazz group based in Los Angeles. The band is comprised of players with whom leader Gary Urwin has been associated over the years as an arranger and trumpet player...in this case led by three acclaimed soloists; Bill Watrous, Pete Christlieb & Carl Saunders, Gary's role is to arrange or compose all the music we do, and to lead the band when we perform or record. This remarkable album builds on, and explores fresh new possibilities in, the approach taken in these artistsprevious album, Kindred Spirits. Kindred Spirits featured jazz legends Bill Watrous (trombone) and Pete Christlieb (tenor sax) as frontline soloists, using charts written specifically for the occasion. A Beautiful Friendship, again features these two monumental talents, Watrous and Christlieb, as soloists, and adds a trumpet soloist, the equally legendary Carl Saunders. The three soloists play together in various combinations, and each of them is featured individually on solo numbers as well. A fourth, co-equal role is played by a terrific all-star big band, the Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra. Add to this package the truly remarkable charts of arranger Urwin, and you have an instant winner. In the words of veteran jazz journalist Scott Yanow: Combine the creative, swinging arrangements of Gary Urwin, and his first-class Los Angeles big band with three superb soloists and the result is A Beautiful Friendship, a real gem. Trombonist Bill Watrous, tenor-saxophonist Pete Christlieb and trumpeter Carl Saunders are three of the greatest bop-based soloists in the world. Add to the set trumpeters Wayne Bergeron and Bobby Shew plus pianist Christian Jacob and one has a CD that all straight-ahead 7 TRACK LISTING: 1. A Beautiful Friendship (Donald Kahn & Stanley Styne; arr. Urwin); 2. Waltz for Debby (Bill Evans; arr. Urwin); 3. Emmanuel (Michel Colombier; arr. Urwin); 4. Shaw Nuff (Charlie Parker & John Birks [Dizzy] Gillespie; arr. Urwin); 5. Guess Ill Hang My Tears Out to Dry (Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn; arr. Urwin); 6. It Could Happen to You (Johnny Burke & Jimmy Van Heusen; arr. Urwin); 7. Dear Mr. Florence (Carl Saunders; arr. Urwin); 8. The Gentle Rain (Luiz Bonfa & Matt Dubey; arr. Urwin); 9. Autumn Sojourn (Carl Saunders; arr. Urwin); 10. Look to the Sky (Antonio Carlos Jobim; arr. Urwin); 11. Joy Spring (Clifford Brown; arr. Urwin); 12. Well Be Together Again (Carl Fischer & Frankie Laine) Review As brilliant as one would expect from these talents ... the repertoire iscomprised of veteran standards, but there is nothing tired or predictable aboutthese renditions ... Fans of straight-ahead jazz and boppish big bands willcertainly enjoy this fine effort. --LA Jazz Scene