Jack Cortner Big Band - Sound Check (2009) FLAC

Arranger/composer Jack Cortner intended for his initial big-band Jazzed Media CD, Fast Track, to be a one-time affair, but soloist Marvin Stamm, who was extensively featured on trumpet and flügelhorn, immediately prodded him into thinking of a follow-up recording. Many of the other musicians from the first session returned, including Stamm's frequent collaborator pianist Bill Mays, plus the cream of the crop of New York-based session players, many of whom (like Stamm and Mays) are leaders in their own right. The program mixes time-tested standards, well-known jazz compositions, and the leader's originals, all of which are scored with tight section work to complement Stamm's sparkling solos. Cortner's unusual setting of "Yesterdays" is light and airy, showcasing Stamm's crisp muted trumpet. Cortner's tasty blues "Sound Check" could easily be mistaken for the type of piece that Count Basie might have played on a typical record date of the '50s or '60s, complete with Jay Berliner's rhythm guitar channeling the late Freddie Green and Mays' understated piano recalling Basie's minimalist approach, while the leader's brisk blues "À la Mode" sizzles with energy. At Stamm's suggestion, Mays at times freed himself from the piano vamp in Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" by adding a bit of campy blues; the tune also showcases a potent solo by alto saxophonist Jon Gordon. It is very likely that Marvin Stamm and the rest of the musicians have already been discussing a third record with Jack Cortner, if they haven't already scheduled the studio time. Highly recommended!