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Various Artists: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat: Disney Jazz Volume 1

By Larry Taylor
June 19, 2011
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Various Artists: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat: Disney Jazz Volume 1

What a discovery; what a great idea. Producer Jason Olaine has taken songs from a number of Disney movies—some rarely recorded by jazz musicians—and made fresh new versions, utilizing some of today's most well-known jazz artists.

The performers range from 90 year-old piano legend

Dave Brubeck

piano
1920 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Brubeck to 17 year-old Canadian vocalist

Nikki Yanofsky

vocals
b.1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Nikki Yanofsky; established horn players such as trumpeter

Roy Hargrove

trumpet
1969 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Roy Hargrove and saxophonist

Joshua Redman

saxophone
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Joshua Redman; and international performers including Israeli-born/US-based guitarist

Gilad Hekselman

guitar
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Gilad Hekselman and avant-garde Cuban pianist

Alfredo Rodriguez

piano
b.1985

" data-original-title="" title="">Alfredo Rodriguez. Olaine has given these diverse artists full control, and they have mined 13 gems from the Disney catalog.

Hargrove delivers a sprightly, hard bop rendition of the sparkling "Everybody Wants to Be A Cat," from 1970's The AristoCats, while accordionist

Gil Goldstein

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Gil Goldstein provides the haunting opening to

Esperanza Spalding

bass
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Esperanza Spalding's creative arrangement of "Chim Chim Cher-ee," from Mary Poppins (1964), the bassist later vocalizing along with her bowed lines to underscore the song's evocative mood

Brubeck gets two selections: first, a swinging version of "Someday My Prince Will Come," from 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where the pianist breezes through the lilting melody, before coming on strong with his trademark chordal fury; later, he gives fine accompaniment to singer

Roberta Gambarini

vocals
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Roberta Gambarini on the theme song to Alice in Wonderland (1951).

Regina Carter

violin
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Regina Carter's exotic violin merges with accordionist

Gary Versace

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Versace and kora master Yacouba Sissoko in the captivating and ear-opening "Find Yourself," from Cars (2006), while Redman adds depth to the innocuous "You've Got A Friend in Me, " from Toy Story (1995), the tenor saxophonist's creative energy unleashed in a trio with bassist

Matt Penman

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Penman and drummer

Gregory Hutchinson

drums
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Gregory Hutchinson.

The irrepressible

The Bad Plus

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2000

" data-original-title="" title="">The Bad Plus is mind-blowing on a rousing version of "Gaston," from Beauty and the Beast (1991), taking this French-flavored tune through creative hijinks to a stirring climax, delivered with the brio of an

Edith Piaf

vocals
1915 - 1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Edith Piaf ballad.

On the many strengths of Olaine's Everybody Wants To Be A Cat: Disney Jazz Volume 1, hopefully Volume 2 won't be far behind.

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Track Listing

Everybody Wants To Be A Cat; Chim Chim Cher-Ee; Some Day My Prince Will Come; Find Yourself; You've Got A Friend In Me; He's A Tramp; Feed The Birds (Tuppence A Bag); Gaston; Alice In Wonderland; The Bare Necessities; It's A Small World; Belle; Circle Of Life.

Personnel

Various Artists

various

Roy Hargrove: trumpet (1); Justin Robinson: alto saxophone (1); Ameen Saleem: bass (1); Thaddeus Dixon: drums (1) Esperanza Spalding: bass, vocal (2); Gil Goldstein: piano, accordion (2); Dave Brubeck: piano (3, 9); Michael Moore: bass (3, 9); Randy Jones: drums (3, 9); Regina Carter: violin (4); Gary Versace: accordion (4); Yacoba Sissoko: kora (4); Chris Lightcap: bass(4); Alvester Garnett: drums, percussion (4); Joshua Redman: tenor saxophone (5); Matt Penman: bass (5); Gregory Hutchinson: drums (5); Dianne Reeves: vocal (6); Peter Martin: piano (6); James Genus: bass (6); Alvester Garnett: drums (6); Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar and piano (7); Joshua Thurston-Milgrom: bass (7); Tobias Backhaus: drums (7); Ethan Iverson: piano (8); Reid Anderson: bass (8); Dave King: drums (8); Roberta Gambarini: vocal (9); Alfredo Rodriguez: piano and percussion (10); Nikki Yanofsky: vocal (11); Paul Shrofel: piano (11); Rob Fahle: bass (11); Geoffrey Lang: drums (11); Rod DiLauro: trumpet (11); Pat Vetter: alto saxophone (11); Christopher Smith: trombone (11); Jean Frechette: baritone saxophone (11); Gilad Hekselman: guitar (12); Joe Martin: bass (12); Obed Calvaire: drums, percussion (12); Mark Rapp: trumpet (13); Jamie Reynolds: piano, keyboards (13); Rene Hart: bass (13); Greg Gonzales: drums (13).

Album information

Title: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat: Disney Jazz Volume 1 | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Disney Records

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