Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Larry McKenna: From All Sides

Larry McKenna: From All Sides

By Victor L. Schermer
October 9, 2013
View read count

Larry McKenna's tenor saxophone playing is addictive. It's like driving a Maserati: you're probably going to want to take it on the road again and again, because it is so elegant and finely engineered. A product of the late swing band era (he did a turn with

Woody Herman

band / ensemble / orchestra
1913 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Woody Herman), McKenna has kept rigorously on a course that started with

Lester Young

saxophone
1909 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Lester Young and culminated with

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Getz. He has honed that genre to such perfection that today he provides the gold standard.

In this album, McKenna takes his Maserati for a spin that involves a degree of risk. He gathers together eight sidemen and a vocalist (

Joanna Pascale

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Joanna Pascale), each of whom is a rugged individualist, and strives to make them work together seamlessly. In addition, he offers eight original tunes, four with lyrics by his recent sidekick Melissa Gilstrap, thus taking a leap into composing and arranging, a talent which he has kept secreted in a vault he has previously opened only to a few admiring associates. (He reportedly has sequestered a huge cache of original charts.) McKenna succeeds in bringing all this diverse talent together into a coherent whole, mainly because his own playing is the magnificent jewel that shines through it all, and also because most of the other players work with him frequently and have enormous respect for him. So they adjust.

Thanks to the sound engineer, Glenn Ferracone, himself a seasoned drummer, the recording has the presence and spontaneity of a live performance reminiscent of

Rudy Van Gelder

various
1924 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Rudy Van Gelder's iconic studio recordings of greats like

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane and other pioneers of the hard bop era. The standards, "Everything I've Got," "That Old Black Magic," "September Song," and "I'll Never Be the Same" swing brightly and include marvelous improvisations by virtually all the players. The piquant lyrics of Melissa Gilstrap are set off nicely by McKenna's understated melodic turns. And McKenna's instrumental originals, "Samba de Else," and "You're It," are beautifully arranged to include subtle interplays among the diverse musicians.

Both the horns and the rhythm section are virtuosos at the top of their game. Special notice should be given to

George Rabbai

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">George Rabbai, the great bebop trumpeter, who plays with his usual quickness, sensitivity and panache, and

Joe McDonough

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McDonough, one of few trombonists capable of the lush, smooth sound of

Urbie Green

trombone
1926 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Urbie Green who nevertheless achieves the clever phraseology of

Frank Rosolino

trombone
1926 - 1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Rosolino. The combined styles of McKenna, Rabbai, and McDonough, along with the four McKenna/Gilstrap songs, provide the unique flavorings that make this album stand out in the crowd.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Everything I��ve Got; One Falling Tree; That Old Black Magic; The Close Things; September Song; Friends for a While; Samba de Else; Side Stepping; I��ll Never Be the Same; Action Blues; Christmas is Being with You; You��re It.

Personnel

Larry McKenna

saxophone, tenor

Larry McKenna: tenor saxophone; Joanna Pascale: vocals (tracks 2, 4, 6. 11); George Rabbai: trumpet (4, 8. 11) and flugelhorn (7); Joe McDonough: trombone (2-8, 11); Tom Lawton: piano (1, 4 7-12); Joshua Richman: piano (2, 3, 5, 6); Kevin McConnell: bass (1-3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12); Lee Smith: bass (4, 7, 8, 11); Pete Smyser: guitars (2, 3, 5, 7, 11); Dan Monaghan: drums.

Album information

Title: From All Sides | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

2013 Thelonious Monk Institute Compe...
< Previous

Limerick Jazz Festival 2013
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.