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Jim Waller Big Band: Bucket List

By Jack Bowers
November 5, 2020
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One glance at

Jim Waller

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Waller's silver mane is enough to make it clear he is no young lion. In fact, Waller, a veteran composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist who calls San Antonio, Texas, home, is nearing his eighth decade. Even though Waller's career has been long and successful, there was one item on his Bucket List that hadn't been crossed off—until now. Waller wanted to lead and record a big band of his own. And so he has. It is a splendid band too, securely anchored by guest drummer

Will Kennedy

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Will Kennedy (formerly of the Yellowjackets) and enhanced by Waller's sunny arrangements, animated solos and seven of his original compositions.

As if to show that nothing is beyond the pale, Waller has even updated George Gershwin's classic "Rhapsody in Blue," which helped usher in the era of modern jazz when introduced by Paul Whiteman's orchestra in 1924 (with the composer at the piano), using a six-member string section to deepen the mood. Waller solos on tenor sax on nine numbers, organ on the well-named "Funksuite 109," soprano sax on "This Is It." On tenor, his style leans more toward

Georgie Auld

saxophone
1919 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Georgie Auld or

Charlie Ventura

saxophone, tenor
1916 - 1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Ventura than, say,

Jimmy Heath

saxophone, tenor
1926 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Heath or

George Coleman

saxophone, tenor
b.1935

" data-original-title="" title="">George Coleman. There are five vocals by Jacqueline Sotelo who skims through them without ruffling any feathers or turning any heads. Of the five, two were associated with

Peggy Lee

vocals
1920 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Peggy Lee ("I Love Being Here with You," "Why Don't You Do Right") and one with

Ray Charles

piano and vocals
1930 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Charles ("Georgia on My Mind").

While the charts for Sotelo are admirable, it is on the nine instrumentals that the band really shines, starting with Waller's rhythmically impressive "Samba for Suzell" (written for his late wife), and continuing with the emphatic "New Blue Funk" (

Bill King

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill King, flute) and shuffling "Blues for Los Blues," a jazz-rock group with whom Waller played in the late '60s and early '70s (

Jason Galbraith

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Galbraith, tenor;

Joey Colarusso

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Joey Colarusso, baritone). Waller also wrote (and arranged) the well-grooved "Waltz for Laura," on which he solos trimly with trumpeter Lee "Sparky" Thomason.

Bill Doggett

organ, Hammond B3
1916 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Doggett's soul-drenched "Honky Tonk" and

Billie Holiday

vocals
1915 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Billie Holiday's sermonesque "God Bless the Child" (vocal by Sotelo) precede the nimble finale, "This Is It" (radiant solos by trumpeter

Curtis Calderon

cornet

" data-original-title="" title="">Curtis Calderon and Waller on soprano).

First-class band, superb arrangements. High marks for both, tempered to a degree by the garden-variety vocals but nonetheless recommended for its many pleasurable moments.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Samba for Suzell; I Love Being Here with You; New Blue Funk; Blues for Los Blues; Georgia on My Mind; Waltz for Laura; Rhapsody in Blue; Why Don��t You Do Right; Funk Suite 109; A Ballad for Bob; Goody Goody; Honky Tonk; God Bless the Child; This Is It.

Personnel

Jim Waller

composer / conductor

Karlos Elizondo

trumpet

Adrian Ruiz

trumpet

Alex Gomez

trumpet

Curtis Calderon

cornet

Lee Thomason

trumpet

Bill King

saxophone, alto

Brian Christensen

saxophone, alto

Adam Carrillo

saxophone, tenor

Jason Galbraith

saxophone

Matthew Maldonado

saxophone

Joey Colarusso

saxophone

Libby Barnette

french horn

Jaime Parker

trombone

Gilbert Garza

trombone

Mark Hill

trombone

Matthew Erickson

trombone

Martin McCain

trombone

Jason Valdez

guitar, electric

Chris Villanueva

piano

Additional Instrumentation

Andy Langham: piano (10); Georgie Padilla: congas, percussion (1, 13); Joe Caploe: timpani (7); Will Kennedy: drums; Jacqueline Sotelo: vocals. String section (Serenade in Blue)��Anastasia Parker: concertmaster; Dr. Stephanie Westney: violin; Eric Siu: violin; Yang Guo: viola; David Wang: viola; Ken Freudigman: cello.

Album information

Title: Bucket List | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced

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