Local albums prove jazz is hot

Providence Journal 1982 by Martha Smith

MOVIN' BACK, the Ted Casher Quintet, Micolgar Productions, TNM Records.

HELLO HEAVEN, Hal Crook, Omni Sound, N-1039.

WITHOUT BOUNDARIES, Greg Abate and Channel One, World Records.

If you care to believe the evidence of three exceptionally good records produced by home-grown talent, jazz is alive and kicking in the Rhode Island-Massachusetts area. In this trio of albums (two of which were recorded at Normandy Sound in Warren), we find virtuoso musicianship, imaginative and far-reaching arrangements and, most important, original tunes that are neither derivative nor trend-following.

It all makes for a very classy package, and why not? The talent involved includes seasoned veterans of the club and conceit circuit; guys who've done national and international tours and who teach on the college level. Here's what they've given us.

In terms of new compositions, the Ted Casher album contains the most satisfying and polished of the lot. He presents seven tunes, masterfully arranged and played with enormous flair and wit.

In addition to Casher, who plays tenor, alto and soprano sax, group members are Mike Garvan, Joe Coroniti, Chris Bellomo and Mark Small.

The songs sizzle with fiery rhythms and singing melodies: Move Over is spry and effervescent; Home Country is full of fat, ripe chords played at a slow rocking gait; Movin' Back is double-time funk, spiced with Small's hot guitar work; Garvan's Samba del Buelgh is a showpiece of close harmony played at a whirlwind pace while Coroniti's Rejouissance is quick, light and good-humored. Casher, whose gravelly voice and full beard are famous at jazz spots around New England, has been the guiding light of the Rhode Island All-Star Jazz Ensemble in recent years. They are an electrifying young bunch and this album shows what it is that makes them spark. His efforts are good news for them and for jazz.

Hal Crook, the exciting and fiery young-trombonist who resembles a tall, thin question mark when he bends around a melody, wrote all eight selections on his album, Hello Heaven. He is ably assisted in the performance by pianist Bill Dobbins, drummer Bill Goodwin, bassist Chuck Israels and guest star Phil Woods, the hottest alto saxman on the jazz scene.

A nice touch comes in the form of liner notes by Clark Terry who writes, "I consider Hal Crook a musical protégé of mine…"

Young Crook, who cut his teeth with the Duke Belaire big band, then toured with the Louis Bellson Orchestra and Tony Bennett and worked for Terry and Herb Pomeroy, is a gifted player. He can be vivacious and technically perfect (as in the spritely Clarksville), sultry and bluesy (Siesta Key), and romantically tender (the sweet Joyce, written for his wife and done with mutes and brush work percussion in a real '40s flavor.) Fine, closely meshed ensemble work is found in the upbeat Delaware Water Gap, while Angels Dance is a floating, resonant piece featuring lots of diminished chords and superior keyboarding.

The best piece of the album is the title tune, a rich ballad that is complete and satisfying — melodic, purposeful and exquisitely arranged.

Greg Abate and Channel One, a group of sensational musicians who unleash pyrotechnics with every tune, have collaborated on Without Boundaries, an album, of six tunes. The able members of the group are Abate, who wrote all the tunes and plays flute and sax, Paul Murphy, Chris Bellomo, Lenny Bradford, Jim Merkin and Tony Allen. Their big, solid ensemble sound is heard to best advantage in Sweetness, the bright and sassy On the Verge and the full-bodied, wonderfully woven My Rose, which has a dandy arrangement calling for lots of breathy, resonant sax work from Abate. Light, with Abate on flute, is a fleeting, quicksilver piece, but best of all is Jess, a haunting and delicious ballad that provides a real showcase for Abate's reed work. One flaw in this album is the similarity of each tune's arrangement, which makes the group seem strangely mechanical. Abate is a stylish player, but it certainly would be more interesting if he did not take — and hang on to — the melody line of each piece.

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