Alan Broadbent has a well-deserved reputation as being one of the most eloquent pianists when it comes to modern music, as his plethora of solo and trio albums attest. It’s easy to forget that he’s also carved out a career as an arranger, most notably for Woody Herman’s Big Band as well as Charlie Haden. Here, the New Zealander teams up with the German Radio Jazz Orchestra to produce, what else? a tribute to America! What a great country!
The tunes are not a collection of Sousa or George M Cohan pieces; instead you get nine originals that are filled with clever melodies, wondrous harmonies and swinging rhythms. References to jazz artists and standards abound, as “Between the Lines” features Dan Gottshall’s trombone on a theme reminiscent of “All the Things You Are” while Peter Bolte’s alto weaves in and out of Billy Strayhorn-inspired motifs on “Sonata for Swee’ Pea.” The bopper “Sonny’s Step” has some excellent section work in which Claus Stotter/tp and Lutz Buchner/ts team up flow with a hint of “Tune Up” whereas the jab and punch of the title track is driven like a trucker by Marcel Serierse’s drums. Through it all, Broadbent brings in cameos of brilliantly tasteful yet swinging piano solos, melded with sectional arrangements that reflect the touch of a water color painter, putting strong hues in one spot with swift brushes somewhere else. This is one you’re going to love and even want to play for the next legal holiday!
Jan Matthies Records