Bill Warfield Big Band: For Lew

Trumpet/bandleader Bill Warfield delivers a rich tribute to departed friend and fellow horn player Lew Soloff. The session is from the early to mid 90s, so it includes the late trumpeter. The 12 tunes includes contributions from all stars Dave Stryker/g, Randy Brecker/tp, Vic Juris/g and Chris Potter/ts, but the entire orchestra is razor sharp on pieces like the bluesy extroversion of the rumbling “Street Corner Supermarket” and the rapid pulsed “Totem Pole” which has Warfield and Dan Block/as soloing over the bright brass. Potter sounds strong on the extroverted “A Little Circus Music” while Juris and Brecker get into a gospel funk on “When Janie Takes the Stand.” We learn about what we’re missing as Solof’s solo on the bold Latin tinged “ Salsa En Mi Alma” well displays both his potency and lyricism. Impressive for the music and message.

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