Tracklist:
01. Pay as You Go
02. Eronel
03. Nocturne Serenity
04. Embraceable You
05. Mood
06. I Thought About You
07. You Stepped Out of A Dream
“Nocturne Serenity” is a welcome return for saxophonist/composer Dale Fielder and his Quartet featuring pianist Jane Getz. It is their first recording since 2019’s “Consensus.” The recording is also subtitled “Saxophone Standards Volume 2,” a follow-up to 2013’s “Saxophone Standards Volume 1,” Fielder’s ongoing life-long project of exploring the American jazz standard tradition. Since 2002, Fielder has primarily played the baritone saxophone. Even though he is photographed on the cover holding a baritone sax, he plays no baritone sax on this recording. Here he plays a strong, impassioned tenor sax on four of the seven tunes; soprano and alto on the remaining three tunes. On this CD, Fielder’s intent was to showcase the other members of his quartet that have remained intact now for 28 years. Featured are ex-Mingus pianist Jane Getz front and center along with generous space given to the other members of the quartet, bassist Bill Markus and drummer Thomas White.
Jane Getz launched her career on a seminal recording by Charles Mingus, “Right Now! Live In San Francisco” at the age of 16 and went on to perform with Pony Poindexter, Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, Roland Kirk, Charles Lloyd, and recorded with Pharoah Saunders on his very first album. She became Chick Corea’s first call sub. As promptly as she appeared, Getz disappeared from the jazz scene, ending up in LA as a plus-plus pop producer under the name of Mother Hen producing such artists as the Bee Gees, Don Henley, and Ringo Starr among others. Fielder, credited with returning Getz to the jazz world in 1995, intentionally featured Getz on this recording. Getz takes the first solo on every track with the exception of the opening and closing tunes. Fielder credits Getz as an important element of the Quartet. Says Fielder, “Jane coming into the quartet was the big factor for us both. We complement each other very well; a perfect foil for each other. I attribute this to the fact that we both feel the same way about music and jazz in particular. We both aren’t afraid of being traditionalists in the sense that in the new millennium, this seems to be a bad word. There’s a certain magic that happens when Jane and I play together, and we’ve been smart enough to explore this and let it develop all these years.”
The album starts with the rarely heard Wayne Shorter composition, “Pay As You Go,” as Fielder’s tribute to the passing of Wayne Shorter in 2023. Fielder’s aggressive tenor playing, and full-throated tone is a throwback to his tenor playing on the successful 1996 CD, “Dear Sir: Tribute To Wayne Shorter,” a CD released with the consultation and blessing of Shorter as well as bringing the DFQ to the attention of the national jazz scene at the time.
Fielder, known for performing rare, and obscure jazz standards, continues the tradition with Thelonious Monk’s “Eronel.” Here Jane Getz is featured right out of the box for a full chorus before Fielder comes in with the melody. In her opening chorus, Getz displays her effortless, swinging, and unhurried style that is fully in the Bud Powell continuum. “Eronel” is a typical example of the DFQ’s reverential treatment of standards that one will hear on their gigs. Everyone is involved and after White’s solo, the tune is topped off with a chorus of trades between Fielder and Getz before the final out-chorus. Here one can see the strong sympatico Fielder and Getz share, sounding as if they are the same person on two different instruments. This is what great jazz sounds like!
Getz’s feature continues on the title tune “Nocturne Serenity,” as Getz again solos first and stretches out on Fielder’s tranquil composition. Here, fully displayed is Getz and Fielder’s love of “rhapsodizing” in their improvisations; taking their time in their search for beauty and grandeur in the lines they create.
The rhapsodizing continues with the standards “Embraceable You,” with Fielder on alto sax, and “I Thought About You” on the soprano sax. Everyone stretches out on both tunes. These are the longest of the session clocking in at just over ten minutes each. The highlights are the relaxed, unhurried, chiseled solos by Fielder and Getz. Of note are Getz’s introductions, and Markus’ arco (bowed) bass solos.
The sleeper of the session is the other Fielder composition, “Mood.” The attractive, introspective melody is reflected by Fielder’s soprano sax played in the upper register of the horn. Getz again is featured up front with a dazzling solo. After Fielder’s impassioned soprano solo, Markus provides a fine pizzicato (plucked) solo at the back end before Fielder re-states the haunting melody. “Mood” as well as “Nocturne Serenity” are fine examples of Fielder’s imaginative writing. Fielder’s solo Rollinesque introduction starts out the closer “You Stepped Out Of A Dream,” as the band romps through this classic standard in fine form.
On “Nocturne Serenity” – “Saxophone Standards Vol 2,” the DFQ does what they do best: breathing new life into jazz standards. Truly the best authentic jazz performances happen before a live audience. It is something very difficult to do, recording while you are performing, as there is no safety net. Yet Fielder and company meet this challenge so well; and the recording quality is so good, that you aren’t even aware that this is a live recording until you hear the applause at each tune’s end! Recommended!
Dale Fielder - soprano, alto & tenor saxophones
Jane Getz - piano
Bill Markus - bass
Thomas White - drums
