By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Fresh Heat
Don’t be surprised if you’re
not familiar with trombonist, composer and arranger Jens Wendelboe. He was
born in London in 1956 and raised in Oslo, Norway. He was educated at the
latter’s Music Conservatory and, until the mid 1980s, worked extensively
throughout Europe. He earned a master of music degree at the Manhattan
School of Music in 1985, and subsequently has worked in both Europe and the
States.
Wendelboe’s genre is jazz
rock: Fans of Blood Sweat and Tears will enjoy this group. BS&T, which came
together in 1967, remains active today; almost half a century, with more than
two dozen versions of the band during that time period. Wendelboe became a
member of BS&T in 2006 and still plays with them, as well as with his own
bands.
I’ve always loved the way
BS&T arrangements used the trombone; That horn really wailed, and
was key to the band’s swinging sound. Wendelboe produces that same
wonderful sound.
His band here is large in
the truest sense: The reed section is made up of two altos, two tenors and a
baritone sax; the brass section consists of four trumpets and four trombones;
the rhythm section is standard — piano/synthesizer, bass and drums — and an
excellent female vocalist (Deb Lyons) completes the package. Finally,
three guest artists — sax, trumpet and harmonica — are used as soloists on
several tracks.
Four tunes — “Joy Spring,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Black Narcissus” and “Falling Grace” are familiar
jazz standards; the rest are Wendelboe originals. He also did all the
arrangements.
The album title, Fresh Heat, is descriptive:
This band truly swings at every tempo, including the balladic
charts. The horn sections are tight, and the soloists obviously are
inspired by the quality of their compatriots and the arrangements. Lyons
deserves a special nod; her treatment of “My Funny Valentine” is among the best I’ve heard, and she scats
admirably on “Joy Spring.”
For those who
still yearn for the big band days of yore, this album will satisfy your soul.
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