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Although preceded by a few precedents in the '30s, the "Tuba Band" led by Miles Davis has intrigued and challenged jazz musicians from the early '50s until now and doubtless will continue to fascinate far into the future. Formed as a smaller ensemble version of the mid '40s Claude Thornhill big band, the "Tuba Band" employed two saxophones and four brass, including horn and tuba, thus providing tone colors of wide potential while facilitating the evasion of conventional swing-era arranging. The band's imaginative charts by young writers, including Gerry Mulligan and John Lewis, were only heard publicly at a New York jazz club during two weeks in September, 1948. Their quality was duly noted, however, leading to recording of the "tuba" band's repertory during the following two years; subsequently a twelve-inch LP reissue of the material in the mid-'50s was dubbed "Birth of the Cool". Three of the most influential tunes then created are reproduced here, together with newer music within the tradition, to form the core of this CD. Among the most imaginative writers in jazz today is Greg Hopkins, whose career has embraced writing and playing for the Buddy Rich band and who now teaches, composes and performs principally in the Boston area. In his angular "Hidden Agenda," soloists Scott Zimmer, Hopkins and Chuck Marohnic negotiate the challenging harmonic movement with aplomb. Attentive listeners will note moments of group improvisation in the coda. Strong jazz writing has the property of inculcating like-minded improvisation from soloists. On "Bas Relief," which exhibits Hopkins' exquisite harmonic sense and distinctive voicings, solos by Marohnic and Hopkins are separated by Bryon Ruth on tenor. Dom Moio's endlessly varied shadings recall his earlier work with pianist Ahmad Jamal. "Israel" was composed and arranged by John Carisi, who had arranged for the Thronhill band among others and who, in 1948, was studying music composition in New York. The most contrapuntal of the tuba band's material, the chart is opened up here for more extended soloing than on the 1949 recording. Among the details are moments of composed accompaniment which emulate piano comping. Soloists are Gary Carney, Sam Pilafian (and how much improvised tuba did you hear last week?). Marohnic, Hopkins and Bryon Ruth now on alto. McCoy Tyner's straightforward "Mode to John" (Coltrane, presumably) becomes a compelling romp for soloists Marohnic, leader-conductor Hopkins, Zimmer and Von Wald, each taking two high-octane choruses on the involved structure. "Boplicity," by Miles Davis, is one of two arrangements for the tuba band by Gil Evans, whose work for the Thronhi9ll band inspired the group's formation and who was to become a guru-like figure not only for his later work with Davis but for his cutting-edge ensembles from the '60s until his recent death. Judged the epitome of hipness when first heard, the chart exhibits a right harmonization around, over and through which the tuba dances in joy over its liberation from ensemble subservience. Evans basically recomposed "Moon Dreams," in the process re-harmonizing the melody, altering rhythms to reflect jazz inflections (including the written-out solos), employing motives and then-unheard-of voicings such as tuba-horn lead (the horn is replaced by muted trombone here). But the most stunning innovation is the extended coda, which creates a sound world light years distant from the raw material of the routine dance band number. | ||
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