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Mark Masters: Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster

By Jack Bowers
July 5, 2021
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Mark Masters: Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster

It is an absolute pleasure to hear several of

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington &

Billy Strayhorn

piano
1915 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Strayhorn's classic charts for Ellington's celebrated 1940-42 Blanton-Webster orchestra (named for a pair of its stars, bassist

Jimmy Blanton

bass, acoustic
1918 - 1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist

Ben Webster

saxophone, tenor
1909 - 1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Webster) adeptly rescored for a twenty-first century ensemble by the superlative arranger

Mark Masters

arranger
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Masters. And to ice the cake, the Masters ensemble welcomes to its ranks

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Baron, the last trombonist hired by Ellington, who anchored the plunger chair from 1973 until Ellington's death the following year and remained in the orchestra under the baton of the Duke's son,

Mercer Ellington

trumpet
1919 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Mercer Ellington.

To his credit, Masters touches up these familiar melodies without forswearing their inherent eloquence and charm, which after all is what has sustained their popularity for some eight decades. The studio set comprises a dozen themes, eight by Ellington (including a brief and bluesy introduction by a quartet to "In a Mellotone"), three by Strayhorn ("Take the 'A' Train," "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," "Passion Flower") and

Juan Tizol

trombone
1900 - 1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Juan Tizol's "Perdido."

Kirsten Edkins

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Kirsten Edkins and

Jerry Pinter

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jerry Pinter sit in for Webster,

Bruce Lett

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Bruce Lett for Blanton. Drummer

Mark Ferber

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Ferber rounds out the ensemble's broad-shouldered yet piano-shy rhythm section (Ellington's orchestra always made room for a piano).

Baron's muted trombone is showcased on "Jack the Bear" (with splendid brushwork by Ferber and resonant bass courtesy of Lett), and he solos (muted or open) on seven other numbers. Edkins and Pinter have their shining moments too, as do trumpeters

Ron Stout

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Stout and

Tim Hagans

trumpet
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Hagans, trombonists

Dave Woodley

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Woodley and

Les Benedict

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Les Benedict, baritone

Adam Schroeder

saxophone, baritone
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Adam Schroeder and clarinetist

Danny House

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Danny House (superb on a rapid-fire "Perdido"). Speaking of tempos, Masters is pretty much content to leave them be, as Ellington and Strayhorn were squarely on target the first time around, and bonus points are not given for fixing something that isn't broken.

Instead, Masters centers his expertise on bringing these timeless themes up to date, which he does simply by trimming prudently around the edges, adding new-coined measures when necessary but generally letting the music speak for itself, which is a good thing, as neither Ellington nor Strayhorn needs a radical makeover. Masters does just enough to make this memorable music sparkle while recasting it in a contemporary framework. Well done.

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Track Listing

All Too Soon; Duke��s Place; I Got It Bad (And That Ain��t Good); A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing; What Am I Here For?; Jack the Bear; Perdido; Passion Flower; Take the ��A�� Train; Ko- Ko; Introduction to In a Mellotone; In a Mellotone.

Personnel

Mark Masters

arranger

Scott Englebright

trumpet

Les Lovitt

trumpet

Ron Stout

trumpet

Tim Hagans

trumpet

Kirsten Edkins

saxophone, tenor

Jerry Pinter

saxophone, tenor

Danny House

saxophone, alto

Adam Schroeder

saxophone, baritone

Les Benedict

trombone

Dave Woodley

trombone

Art Baron

trombone

Bruce Lett

bass

Mark Ferber

drums

Album information

Title: Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Capri Records

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