FSNT-200

FSNT-DVD901

The Sound Of New York Jazz Underground : 2 Cd Set + The Documentary ( Dvd Pal & Ntsc )

The New Talent Jazz Orchestra

The CD
The music included in this double deluxe digipack CD was recorded on September 29-30 and October 1-2, 2003, at Systems Two Recording Studios in Brooklyn, New York.
This production brought together many of the outstanding musicians that record for Fresh Sound "New Talent" and aims to reflects the openness of the label towards diverse tendencies that contemporary jazz presents.
The concept was that there would be 8 different composers directing and writing the music for the orchestra and each one would contribute an original piece and an arrangement, which the orchestra would them interpret under their direction and with complete creative freedom. The first CD is made up entirely of originals and the second one of arrangements of theme composed by personalities so different as Aphex Twin, Gustavo Leguizamón, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, George Gershwin or Dwayne Burno.

Tracklisting:

CD1: Originals
1. A Meditation on Two Chords - Jason Lindner 5:35
2. Heaven - Frank Carlberg 8:24
3. Petite Promenade - Magali Souriau 4:42
4. Nine - Andrew Rathbun 8:36
5. Jumbo-Buen Día Día - Guillermo Klein 5:53
6. Escondido - Taylor Haskins 6:35
7. El Acecho - Pablo Ablanedo 6:47
8. Noosh - Avi Lebovich 7:17

CD2: Arrangements
1. Me Voy Quedando (Gustavo Leguizamón) - Pablo Ablanedo 7:56
2. Nannou (Aphex Twin) - Taylor Haskins 5:52
3. Silhouettes (Dwayne Burno) - Avi Lebovich 6:27
4. Witch Hunt (Wayne Shorter) - Andrew Rathbun 12:25
5. Nefertiti (Wayne Shorter) - Guillermo Klein 5:35
6. Ahmad Ravel-Au Clair de la Lune (trad) - Magali Souriau 6:33
7. I Got Rhythm (G. & I. Gershwin) - Frank Carlberg 8:26
8. Giant Steps (John Coltrane) - Jason Lindner 6:15


The DVD
This DVD documents the recording of the double CD “The Sound of New York Jazz Underground”. Divided in eight chapters (one for each director) it shows us the musicians in studio during a rarely seen moment of their work.
Special features:
- Subtitles in French and Spanish.
- Photo Gallery.
- Complete Fresh Sound New Talent catalogue.


Complete Collective Personnel:
Taylor Haskins, Diego Urcola, Richard Nant - trumpet, fluggelhorn
Phil Grenadier, Avishai Cohen, Russ Johnson - trumpet
Avi Lebovich, Sandro Tomasi, Alan Ferber, Max Siegel, Dana Leong - trombone
Jamie Baum, Helen Richman - flute
Anat Cohen, Miguel Zenon, Jaleel Shaw, Chris Cheek, Jason Hunter, Andrew Rathbun, Bill McHenry, Marcus Strickland, Eli Degibri, Jimmy Greene, Adam Kolker, Chris Karlic, Frank Basile - saxes
Magali Souriau, Frank Carlberg, Aaron Goldberg - piano
Jason Lindner, Guillermo Klein - piano, Fender Rhodes
Jorge Rossy - Fender Rhodes
Ben Monder - electric guitar
Matt Pavolka, Matt Penman, John Hebert - doublebass
Brandon Owens, Fernando Huergo - electric bass
Jeff Hirshfield, Mark Ferber - drums
Jeff Ballard, Jorge Rossy - drums & percussion
Franco Pinna - drums & bombo legüero
Daniel Freedman - percussion
Claudia Acuña, Christine Correa, Chiara Civello - vocals

Recorded by Mike Marciano and David Baker at System Two, Brooklyn, NY.

Reviews:


"Fresh Sound has been recording young musicians on its New Talent division for the last ten years, giving a first venue in the studio to some of the most interesting young musicians of our time. Producer Jordi Pujol wanted to mark that decade of work somehow, and THE SOUND OF NEW YORK JAZZ UNDERGROUND was his answer. He created the NEW TALENT JAZZ ORCHESTRA, a collective of nearly fifty musicians who have recorded for the label in the past decade, selected eight of the musicians to write one new composition and one new arrangement for large ensemble, and set them free in the studio in Brooklyn for three days, September 29, 30 and October 1, 2003. The result is a double CD set (Fresh Sound New Talent 200; 53:58 & 59:38) and a DVD (FSNT DVD 901) documenting those three amazing days.
Actually it’s a strange choice for the video column, since this DVD that captures the NTJO is pretty raw stuff. It’s divided into eight parts, each one capturing the studio sessions for one of the orchestra’s composers/arrangers. There’s not a lot of editing and or even close miking of conversations, we just get footage of the orchestra under the direction of one of these eight artists, sometimes interspersed with a little interview footage. So it is fascinating stuff, but not on its own. If you hadn’t heard the CD results of these sessions, frankly this DVD would be confusing at best, much like stumbling on an open window in the alley and peeking in at these largely unknown artists chatting and playing and working on the charts. But once you’ve heard the 2 CDs of new music, the excitement of peeking in the rear window to see how it was done is great. The first CD holds all the original compositions (Meditation on Two Chords/ Jason Lindner; Heaven/ Frank Carlberg; Petite Promenade/ Magali Souriau; Nine/ Andrew Rathbun; Jumbo-Buen Dia Dia/ Guillermo Klein; Escondido/ Taylor Haskins; El Acecho/ Pablo Ablanedo; Noosh/ Avi Lebovich; 53:58) and the ensembles change from track to track. There is a lot of grand work here, all of it for large band, but highlights include Ablanedo’s tribute to Piazzola and Pascoal, “El Acecho.” And also the bouncing “Petite Promenade” by Magali Souriau, where Miguel Zenon and Chris Cheek stand out on reeds, is wonderful. The second CD may be even more fun, as the same eight composers now arrange a tune for the orchestra (Me Voy Quedando/ Ablanedo; Nannou/ Haskins; Silhouettes/ Lebovich; Witch Hunt/ Rathbun; Nefertiti/ Klein; Au Clair de la Lune/ Souriau; I Got Rhythm/ Carlberg; Giant Steps/ Lindner; 59:38). One of the catchiest performances, so memorable that it serves for cover music on the DVD, is Taylor Haskins’ arrangement of “Nannou” by Aphex Twin. I can get a bit tired of Jazz musicians covering rock tunes, but this combination of Ben Monder’s electric guitar and Klein’s Fender Rhodes with a horn section including Cheek, Zenon, and Haskins himself is atmospheric and hard to get out of your head. These are indeed worthy documents to celebrate ten years of very special and still largely unheralded work, and Fresh Sound is to be commended. The two CDs are a must, since I’m sure some day we’ll all be remembering these “early works” by now famous artists. If you dig the music— and if you have ears that aren’t just painted on, you will dig the music—then the DVD is worth acquiring. But I’d say that Jordi Pujol’s New Talent Jazz Orchestra is indeed among the sounds of the next Jazz underground."
- Phillip McNally, Cadence Magazine