Name: Endless Search
Brand: City Hall Records
SKU: 1132124
Price: 19.45 USD
Availability: InStock

Performer Notes

Personnel: Michael Brockman (clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Travis Ranney (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Mark Taylor (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Hadley Caliman (tenor saxophone); Bill Ramsay (baritone saxophone); Dennis Haldane, Jay Thomas, Thomas Marriott (trumpet); Dan Marcus, David Marriott, Jr., Scott Brown, Bill Anthony (trombone); David Bentley (bass trombone); Randy Halberstadt (piano); Clarence Acox (drums).
Audio Mixer: Howard Mostrom.
Recording information: Benaroya Music Hall, Seattle (03/07/2010); Kirkland Performance Center (03/07/2010); Triad Studios, Redmond, WA (03/07/2010); Benaroya Music Hall, Seattle (04/17/2010); Kirkland Performance Center (04/17/2010); Triad Studios, Redmond, WA (04/17/2010); Benaroya Music Hall, Seattle (06/17/2007); Kirkland Performance Center (06/17/2007); Triad Studios, Redmond, WA (06/17/2007); Benaroya Music Hall, Seattle (12/08/2007); Kirkland Performance Center (12/08/2007); Triad Studios, Redmond, WA (12/08/2007).
Photographers: Bruce C. Moore; Roger Galloway.
After a guest spot with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra in 2001, longtime sax player Jimmy Heath went back to work at Queens College. Letting a few years pass, the SRJO came back with a commission -- an attempt to create new music for the older structured form of big-band jazz. The result was a three-part tour de force of harmony that manages to showcase the formidable horns of Seattle individually without simply resorting to solos. This is one of the key differences between the movers in the realm of modern big band and those who simply rehash the traditions -- the emphasis on individual voices and their interplay beyond the requisite solos. Though there's a core of almost ambient trombones and sax riffs, the instruments move out of their swooning, swerving lines to attack other musical elements regularly. Along with the outstanding set from (and featuring) Heath, the album throws in a bonus with live recordings of "Haitian Love Song" (which uses the deeper horns incredibly) and "Creole Love Song" (which brings the big-band aesthetic back to its roots, but uses Ellington's composition to highlight individuals yet again). There's a smoothness to any big-band recording, but the SRJO, especially with Heath at the compositional helm, falls into the realm of Tadd Dameron more than Lawrence Welk. This is outstanding music with a bevy of fine musicians behind it. ~ Adam Greenberg

Professional Reviews

JazzTimes (p.63) - "The suite, which evokes a big-city atmosphere befitting Heath's bebop roots, takes the prize for the most colorful writing, and it also reminds us of Heath's organizational clarity."

Album: Endless Search
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Endless Search Suite: Pt. 1 - The Endless Search, The
2)	Endless Search Suite: Interlude, The
3)	Endless Search Suite: Pt. 2 - Inside Your Heart/Pt. 3 - Where It Started, The
4)	Sleeves
5)	Passage Noir - (live)
6)	Haitian Fight Song - (live)
7)	Creole Love Call - (live)

Album: Endless Search
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Endless Search Suite: Pt. 1 - The Endless Search, The
2)	Endless Search Suite: Interlude, The
3)	Endless Search Suite: Pt. 2 - Inside Your Heart/Pt. 3 - Where It Started, The
4)	Sleeves
5)	Passage Noir - (live)
6)	Haitian Fight Song - (live)
7)	Creole Love Call - (live)