Gabriel’s horn blows well on these two recent releases…
Louise Baranger taps into an underappreciated resource on this collection of soul classics from the Baby Boomer period. She brings together a barn burner of teammates which include Rick Kriska/as, don Braden/fl-ts, Steve Moran/ts, Bary Blu/bs, Lew Soloff/tp and a toe tapping rhythms secion of Jon Cobert/key, John Putnam/g, Lincoln Schleifer/b, Denny McDermott/dr and Joe Bonadio/perc.
The guitar gets wacka wooka wild on with Latin percussion on Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up” while Baranger sizzles on the Memphis Stewed “Camaro Willy.” She shows how to boogaloo on the fun loving “Love Potion No. 9” and goes Afro Funky on Al Green’s “Take Me To the River.” Motown moods get hip on “Higher Ground” and “Inner City Blooes” with some hot sax work on “Soul Bossa Nova.” Get out the lava lamps for this one! WHEW!
The two trumpet team of Mike Vax and Ron Romm get down to brass tax with Dr. David Hickman/tp, Scott Whitfield/tb, Tony Vacca/ts-fl, Jack Petersoen/g, Ioannis Goudelis/ke-p, Selwyn Reams/b, Cleve Huff Huff/dr and Joel Robin-Axis Romm/p for this bright and bold collection of ideas.
The horns are sweet on the soft “The Shadow of Your Smile” and bright with macho bel canto during a remake of Leoncavallo’s opera piece for “My Pal Yachee.” Lovely muted elegance is dreamy for an interpretation of “Haydn Trumpet Concerto Movement Two” and the team bops like a hip B movie on a take of Freddie Hubbard’s “Up Jumped Spring.” Andalucian drama gets bold with the addition of Hickman on “The Brave Matador” with the rhythm team getting snappy and crisp on “Lenny Leaps Out.” Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy.