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Ed Neumeister: Suite Ellington

By Karl Ackermann
June 26, 2016
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A complete summary of trombonist Ed Neumeister's musical career would date back to his pre-school years. Initially a regular fixture on the San Francisco circuit, he later immersed himself in the New York jazz scene dividing almost thirty-five years between the

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington Orchestra and the

Mel Lewis

drums
1929 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Mel Lewis Big Band. His additional experiences with classical orchestras and ensembles helped solidify his skills as a conductor and composer. On Suite Ellington, Neumeister and his sextet take on some familiar and less covered Ellington compositions, leaving their distinctive mark on each piece.

Reed player

Billy Drewes

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Drewes has recorded and toured with many well-known artists like

Herbie Hancock

piano
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock,

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric
b.1951

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

Randy Brecker

trumpet
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Brecker and

John Abercrombie

guitar
1944 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">John Abercrombie. Trumpeter

Jim Rotondi

trumpet
1962 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Rotondi has most notably worked in the big bands of

Ray Charles

piano and vocals
1930 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Charles,

Lionel Hampton

vibraphone
1908 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Lionel Hampton and

Toshiko Akiyoshi

piano
b.1929

" data-original-title="" title="">Toshiko Akiyoshi. He is a founding member of the sextet One For All, which features saxophonist

Eric Alexander

saxophone, tenor
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Alexander. The late pianist

Fritz Pauer

piano
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Fritz Pauer play with

Art Farmer

flugelhorn
1928 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Farmer,

Dexter Gordon

saxophone, tenor
1923 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Dexter Gordon and others, while bassist

Peter Herbert

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Herbert spread it around with pop luminaries like

Paul Simon

composer / conductor
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Simon and the third-stream composer

Franz Koglmann

flugelhorn
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Franz Koglmann. The best known member of the group is drummer

Jeff Ballard

drums
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Ballard whose associations with

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny and especially

Brad Mehldau

piano
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Brad Mehldau make him the contemporary jazz household name in this sextet.

While

Billy Strayhorn

piano
1915 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Strayhorn is a key element in Suite Ellington, the set opens with the exception, the classic "Caravan" composed by Juan Tizol and Ellington. Typical of most tracks here, Neumeister unwraps the piece with some degree of reverence to the original. But his ability to literally and figuratively make the trombone speak in a humanoid voice, is a big part of the interpretation of these compositions. The Queens Suite, written for the UK monarch, is a lesser known work but a great example of Ellington/Strayhorn's rhythmic flexibility. The Far East Suite is represented with "DEPK.' The suite, motivated by a 1963 tour of the Middle East was, like The Queens Suite, rarely performed by Ellington. Neumeister and company take this piece first on face value and then reinvent the arrangements.

Neumeister and Pauer lead the way in the creative license taken with these legacy compositions. In most cases, they are surprising bold in their scope and tractability. Along with Drewes and Rotondi, the players infuse their unique creative spirit while maintaining the solid foundation that these Ellington/Strayhorn pieces deserve. Aside from Neumeister's own artistic accomplishment on Suite Ellington, we are reminded that Strayhorn was Ellington's equal in every way short of notoriety and a public face.

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Track Listing

Caravan; Come Sunday; The Queens Suite: (Sunset and the Mocking Bird; Lightning Bugs & Frogs; Le Sucrier Velours; The Single Pedal of a Rose; Northern Lights; Apes and Peacocks); DEPK.

Personnel

Edward Neumeister

composer / conductor

Ed Neumeister: trombone; Billy Drewes: clarinet and alto sax; Jim Rotondi: trumpet and flugelhorn; Fritz Pauer: piano; Peter Herbert: bass; Jeff Ballard: drums.

Album information

Title: Suite Ellington | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Pao Records

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