Las
Vegas can be a tough place. Just ask Bobby Shew and Carl Fontana. Both are
top-notch musicians, and both have toiled in various show bands in Vegas. While
the money may be great, it is not a good place to gain recognition as a
musician. While Shew has recorded a few albums under his own name on various
small labels, plus being a part of some great big bands (Toshiko Akiyoshi, Woody
Herman, and Benny Goodman to name a few), Fontana has been rather invisible.
This recording, therefore, is a chance to hear the two horn-men at their best.
The concept of this album isn't anything new or unusual. It's basically a
blowing session for everyone. About half of these tunes are straight-ahead jams.
Trumpet great Herbie Phillips arranged three of the tunes, and then passed away
suddenly. Shew arranges two others.
They kick it off with "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", an up-tempo burner in
which Fontana wastes little time in astounding everyone with his trombone
prowess. His approach to the 'bone is a bit different from other 'bone players.
He isn't a raucous, loud player. He keeps the volume down in order to be more
flexible. His solos are tasty and to the point. On "Bag's Groove", after Shew's
monster solo, Fontana and bassist Bob Magnusson converse together in a bluesy
mode for a couple of choruses before the rest of the band joins them. On "Girl
From Ipanema" - done as an up-tempo samba - Fontana flat out cooks! And on "Just
In Time" it is ALL Fontana in a mesmerizing display.
Shew shines on his own on the beautiful "Autumn Serenade" - his solo feature -
and plays a hot muted solo on "But Not For Me", one of the better tunes on this
album. And his arrangement of "While My Lady Sleeps" features some great horn
lines as well as a wonderful solo. And everyone shines on "Night And Day",
another up-tempo swinging affair.
The rhythm section really makes this record glow. Drummer LaBarbera is his usual
steady self, and pianist Cables - an underrated musician in my view - plays some
outstanding solos on several pieces. If there is one flaw in this recording, it
is that some songs have too many solos. Several songs have the obligatory
trading 4's routine, and sometimes that gets a little old. But there is no
denying the quality of musicianship on this record. This is a great opportunity
to hear some artists who deserve wider recognition.
-- Bill Bernardi,
52nd Street Jazz