In honor of Art Blakey’s 100th birthday, trumpeter Valery Ponomarev brings together a snappy big band to give a 17 instrument salute of some of his most famous songs. The idea of using a large ensemble to salute the small group sessions is a stroke of genius, as the big sound fits the Blakey world view.
The team shuffles to Wayne Shorter’s “Tell It Like It Is” with a vengeance, with the leader’s horn charging forward. Other Shorter tunes include the punchy “Hammer Head” driven by drummer Victor Jones and the sleek “One By One” pulsed along by Anthony Nelson’s baritone and coaxed along by Mamiko Watanabe’s piano. The team bops with delight to “Webb City” as tenorist Peter Brainin and Antoine Drye’s trumpet sear through the rhythm section, with big and bold brass shining brightly on “Are You Real?”. This album is a delight, and it uses the inspiration of Art Blakey as a starting point and not a paint by numbers imitation. You can feel the difference.