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Vanessa Perica: Love is a Temporary Madness

By Jack Bowers
December 28, 2020
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Vanessa Perica: Love is a Temporary Madness

Even as the year 2020 has slid ignobly into the dustbin of history, music-lovers have been buoyed by a number of encouraging signs that the future of big-band jazz is in capable hands. While splendid recordings by old hands

Mike Barone

composer / conductor
b.1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Barone,

Steve Spiegl

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Spiegl,

Mark Masters

arranger
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Masters and

Maria Schneider

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Maria Schneider have helped keep the flame burning brightly, their customary artistry has been rivaled if not surpassed this year by relative newcomers such as

Jeremy Levy

composer / conductor
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeremy Levy,

Seth Weaver

trombone
b.1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Seth Weaver,

Lisa Maxwell

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Lisa Maxwell,

Jon Schapiro

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Schapiro,

Dennis Kwok

saxophone
b.1997

" data-original-title="" title="">Dennis Kwok,

Joshua Jern

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Joshua Jern and others. To that list of "others" must be added the name

Vanessa Perica

composer / conductor
b.1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Vanessa Perica, an Australian composer / arranger whose debut album, Love Is a Temporary Madness marks the emergence of a sharp and perceptive new voice whose impact in the realm of big band jazz should be anything but temporary.

Since her graduation in 2003 from the West Australian Academy for the Performing Arts in Perth, Perica has been receiving accolades for her resourceful compositions and arrangements, two of which—the powerful "Dance of the Zinfandels" and incisive "Scar for Charlie"— are reprised on this thoroughly impressive album on which five more of Perica's admirable themes are showcased. While Perica's writing is explicitly contemporary, along the lines of Schneider and other modernists (albeit with a strong Kentonesque temper), there is one clear and decisive contrast—Perica's charts swing harder and more often, even at unhurried tempos, in the image of Barone,

Frank Foster

saxophone
1928 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Foster,

Sammy Nestico

composer / conductor
1924 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Sammy Nestico,

Bill Holman

composer / conductor
- 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Holman,

Johnny Mandel

arranger
b.1925

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Mandel,

Bob Florence

piano
1932 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Florence,

Gerry Mulligan

saxophone, baritone
1927 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerry Mulligan and other masters of the genre.

And like those archetypes, Perica uses the full orchestra to press home her ideas, deftly employing brass, reeds and rhythm as springboards for the ensemble's squadron of able soloists, none of whom is less than engaging. "Zinfandels" follows the sunny, rhythmic opener, "Spaccanapoli," and precedes "Woody's Lament," which embodies more fire than ice, and may or not be a nod to Woody Herman. Guitarist

Theo Carbo

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Theo Carbo, drummer

Ben VanderWal

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben VanderWal and trumpeter

Mat Jodrell

trumpet
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Mat Jodrell solo on "Spaccanapoli," Vanderval and tenor

Jamie Oehlers

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jamie Oehlers on "Zinfandels," tenor saxophonist

Julien Wilson

saxophone, tenor
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Julien Wilson on "Lament." Pianist

Andrea Keller

piano
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrea Keller ushers in the burnished, waltz-like "Saint Lazare," on which Jodrell and trombonist

Jordan Murray

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jordan Murray solo. Perica says she wrote the warm ballad "Love Is a Temporary Madness" (also introduced by Keller) for her husband, which might give him pause. Keller and soprano

Carl Mackey

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Carl Mackey share solo honors.

"Scar for Charlie," which features Oehlers and Keller, leads to the sharp and muscular finale, "Rebrahmanization," a thundering showpiece for the orchestra, amplified by Carbo and Mackey. It's the last, but by no means least, of these seven persuasive themes announcing that there's "a new sheriff in town," she's packing heat, and you'd best listen carefully to what she has to say.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Spaccanapoli; Dance of the Zinfandels; Woody's Lament; Saint Lazare; Love Is a Temporary Madness; Scar for Charlie; Rebrahmanization.

Personnel

Vanessa Perica

composer / conductor

Carl Mackey

saxophone, alto

Bernard Alexander

saxophone, alto

Jamie Oehlers

saxophone, tenor

Julien Wilson

saxophone, tenor

Phil Noy

saxophone, alto

Mat Jodrell

trumpet

Daniel Beasy

trumpet

Ross Irwin

trumpet

Paul Williamson

trumpet

Jordan Murray

trombone

Nick Mulder

trombone

Will Pethick

trombone

Joe O'Callaghan

guitar

Andrea Keller

piano

Theo Carbo

guitar

Sam Anning

bass

Ben VanderWal

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Carl Mackey: soprano saxophone on "Love is a Temporary Madness."

Album information

Title: Love is a Temporary Madness | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced

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