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Mike DiRubbo: Human Spirit
ByMike DiRubbo
saxophone, altob.1970

Kenny Garrett
saxophone, altob.1960

Steve Wilson
saxophoneb.1961

Vincent Herring
saxophone, altob.1964

Jackie McLean
saxophone, alto1932 - 2006
The strides that DiRubbo has made in developing an individualistic voice and style are even more remarkable when one considers that unlike many of his contemporaries, the saxophonist's exposure to jazz in general was limited prior to his college days. "As far as jazz goes, I didn't have much training until I went to Hartt," DiRubbo says. "But I always had a decent ear and would be picking stuff up and playing along with the radio. It was never like my parents had to tell me to practice because I was always into it. It was really the sound of the tenor though that was the thing. I was really in love with that sound."
In the creative environment of Hartt, DiRubbo not only had the opportunity to study with Jackie McLean, but also to develop relationships with a few peers who would shortly be making names for themselves on the New York scene. "I made acquaintances with some people that I still work with, like

Steve Davis
tromboneb.1967
Stepping out of the shadows into the role of leader, DiRubbo's would soon be cutting his own first effort for Criss Cross, the critically acclaimed Keep Steppin' (Criss 1205). "Loosely basing the music within the parameters of hard bop," writer David Orthmann comments in a review of the album, "DiRubbo takes this part of the jazz tradition and, by the sheer resoluteness of his playing, forges something potent and essential." In fact, these few words do indeed capsulate the essence of DiRubbo's approach, one that is largely steeped in the Blue Note tradition of the '60s, but which also includes elements such as the buttery tone of

Johnny Hodges
saxophone, alto1907 - 1970
A worthy successor to his maiden voyage, Human Spirit speaks to more recent advances in DiRubbo's musical quest and it's a session that went down easily with almost all the performances being first takes. Once again the front line features

Jim Rotondi
trumpet1962 - 2024
Undoubtedly a familial bond exists between pianist

David Hazeltine
pianob.1958

Peter Washington
bassb.1964
Speaking of Washington and Farnsworth, somewhat of a modern day counterpart to such memorable teams as

Paul Chambers
bass, acoustic1935 - 1969

Philly Joe Jones
drums1923 - 1985

Ron Carter
bassb.1937

Tony Williams
drums1945 - 1997
It's Farnsworth who kicks off Transfer, an up tempo swinger that sets things in motion without wasting so much as a note. "I was thinking about

Cedar Walton
piano1934 - 2013
As far back as 1961,

Wayne Shorter
saxophone1933 - 2023
Human Spirit is in many ways the centerpiece of the entire session. With its lilting waltz groove, DiRubbo's uplifting melody is delivered with great sensitivity and in the spiritual vein that its title suggests. "It's about positive energy and being in the key of D always makes me feel positive." Mainly a forum for DiRubbo's alto, his solo is filled with trinkets of melodic inspiration, not to mention a few Coltrane-inflected runs to boot. Hazeltine delivers his own short commentary marked by a sage use of block chords.
It's then off to the races for a mercurial romp through

Jackie McLean
saxophone, alto1932 - 2006

Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991

Milt Jackson
vibraphone1923 - 1999
Things slow down to a ballad tempo for the poignant DiRubbo original North Shore Reflections. "My girlfriend Lauren is from a small town on the north shore of Long Island and where her folks live you can walk to the beach, so we spend as much time there as we can to get away from the city. They have a piano at the house because her mom plays some classical music and the tune came to me there one day when I was messing around at the piano." In addition to statements from Hazeltine and Rotondi, Di Rubbo delivers a superb extended cadenza at the piece's conclusion.
From Hank Mobley's 1967 classic Far Away Lands comes Bossa For Baby and the balance that Jim and Mike get in voicing the opening melody is both highly polished and seemingly effortless. "This is another tribute to one of my favorite musicians and I don't mean necessarily just playing wise, but more his records in general. I mean, I've worn the crap out of all those Hank Mobley Blue Note records." Save for Washington and Farnsworth, everyone takes a solo on this one.
"I'm a big sports fan and I love when they talk about certain baseball players as being a throwback from another generation. And I think a lot of the guys that I hang around with, as far as jazz musicians, are throwbacks to people you read about in books and stuff." This then is the genesis for Throwback; a likable bop-inflected number that as previously stated is linked to the rock solid work of Peter Washington. As such, the bassist steps in the spotlight for his only solo of the date, following statements from DiRubbo, Rotondi, and Hazeltine.
Wrapping things up is the Rotondi original Down, a brisk flag waver that seems the antithesis of its title. DiRubbo, Rotondi, and Hazeltine get their say and then go around in the same order as they trade bars with Farnsworth. Optimistic and swinging, the quintet then exits the same way they came in.
Certainly as things go, Human Spirit is a recording made in the character of the mainstream tradition, yet it speaks for a new generation of artists who are reaching beyond the groundwork in developing their own personal voices. "Sometimes critics are fond of putting musicians into pigeon holes, like this guy is a hard bopper and that's it," DiRubbo claims, "and that's not what I'm all about." Without question, anyone with an open mind should have no trouble seeing that DiRubbo speaks the truth, both in his words and his music.
Liner Notes copyright ? 2025 C. Andrew Hovan.
Human Spirit can be purchased here.
Contact C. Andrew Hovan at All About Jazz.
An avid audiophile and music collector, Chris Hovan is a Cleveland-based writer / photographer / musician.
Track Listing
Transfer; Moon River; Human Spirit; Minor March; North Shore Reflections; Bossa For Baby; Throwback; Down.
Personnel
Mike DiRubbo
saxophone, altoJim Rotondi
trumpetDavid Hazeltine
pianoPeter Washington
bassJoe Farnsworth
drumsAlbum information
Title: Human Spirit | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Criss Cross
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