This is the kind of album that makes jazz fun.
Pianist and arranger Randy Waldman tackles the Comic Book Song book, namely themes from shows like Mighty Mouse, Batman, Underdog and Spiderman. You get the idea; Saturday morning starts swinging!
He’s got a core team of Carlitos Del Puerto/b, Vinnie Colaiuta/dr, Michael O’Neill/g and Rafael Padilla/perc, but the fun doesn’t stop there, as guest appearances by Randy Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Steve Gadd (WITH Colaiuta!), Wynton Marsalis and Chick Corea (just for starters) fill in this star studded adolescent fest.
And the music itself? POW! WHAM! SHAZAM!!
With voiceovers by James Brolin, John Travolta, Josh Groban and Olivia Newton-John, the TV Superman Theme sears through the sky like a bullet with solos by Daniels and Brecker. Gadd and Colaiuta punch through “Mighty Mouse with thunder and do a return bout with Bob McChesney on “Underdog.” Benson is slick and funky on “Superman Movie,” Corea is joyful on “The Incredible Hulk” and Marsalis teams up with Wayne Bergeron for a wild trumpet chase on the TV version of “Batman.” This album is an absolute gas, a joy and all that’s missing is to listen to it on a Saturday morning in your pajamas!
Kids, be the first on your block to get it! Album of the year?