Canada doesn’t only have to brag about being the birthplace of Oscar Peterson. Here are a couple releases from the University of Toronto that will get your attention.
U of T’s twelve-tet is a light on its feet group that bops with the best. The horns snap along with crisp drumming by Mike Rajna on pieces like “Witchcraft” and the rhythm section delves into a hip groove on “Isfahan” along with a nice solo by trombonist Mobido Keita. The small but strong horn sections are fluffy on ”Star Crossed Lovers” and are warm on the Lyrical “Song For Lia” as Dan Pitt’s guitar slides through the reeds. There’s a nice mix of originals like “Hat Music” as well as clever reads of standards. Impressive!
The U of T Jazz Orchestra includes a couple ringer guests such as Dave Liebman who takes some solos on each of the four pieces. The longest composition is a 29+ minute “Sweet Ruby Suite” which has modern swing that is quite accessible, some rich bluesy hues and exciting drum work by Andrew Miller. Liebman’s’ soprano is lithe on the peppy “W.W.” while Patrick Smith’;s tenor is palpably warm. Earthy vocals by Norma Winston make “ Canter No. 1” a mystical delight and the expressive Marie Goudy on flugelhorn teams well with Josh Smiley’s piano. Nice creative 21st Century ideas that don’t lose the listener.
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