Brian Bromberg is one of those consummate bass players around. A highly respected studio stud, he’s released some amazing albums ranging from “smooth” jazz to Hendrix tributes. Here, he picks, plucks strums and even hits just about everything, as he’s on acoustic bass, electic bass, piccolo bass and even drums along with a mix and match team and attitude with Randy Waldman/p and a horn section that changes partners like Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutti.
The jazz styles actually do run as the title of the album suggests, with a full circle of swing, starting and ending with some fantastic jive on “Jazz Me Blues” and “Washington and Lee Swing” that could be mistaken for a broadcast from the Roseland Ballroom as Phil Washburn/tb and Jimmy Saunders wail for the Lindy Hoppers. In other instances, you might feel like you’re sitting in on a Wes Montgomery Riverside studio session in Hackensack NJ, as Mitch Forman’s B3 grooves out to Bromberg’s guitar like bass on “Sneaky Pete” and some tight sounds sizzle on trio work with Doug Webb’s beefy sax on “Boomerang” and “Bernie’s Bop.” You even get some sweaty salsa as Arturo Sandoval smokes like a Romeo & Juliet on “Havana Nights” and even better is the Crescent City two stepping on “Naw’lins” with Kirk Whalum preaching from the pulpit.
Some day, people are going to look back on Bromberg’s catalogue and wonder why they didn’t appreciate him back ‘in the day.’ This is the day to start!
Artistry Music