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Bob Lark and His Alumni Big Band: Sweet Return

By Jack Bowers
October 27, 2014
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Bob Lark and His Alumni Big Band: Sweet Return

As was the case two years ago (2012) with its first album, Reunion, trumpeter

Bob Lark

trumpet
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Lark's Alumni Big Band on Sweet Return is comprised of musicians he has supervised in various groups during a long and eminent career that embodies more than twenty years as director of Jazz Studies at DePaul University in Chicago. Even so, this isn't quite the same band as before; while more than a dozen sidemen from Reunion have returned to lend a hand, there's a new lead alto (

Randy Hamm

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Hamm) and baritone (Mark Hiebert),

Glenn Kostur

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Glenn Kostur has moved from tenor sax to alto and pianist

Pete Benson

organ, Hammond B3
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Pete Benson has replaced

Ryan Cohan

piano
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Ryan Cohan on five tracks. Trumpeter

Vance Thompson

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Vance Thompson, trombonist Dominic Marino, guitarist

Mike Pinto

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Pinto and drummer

Dana Hall

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Dana Hall have departed, as has vibraphonist Justin Thomas (who appeared on only one track on Reunion).

One other change that should be underscored is that whereas Reunion consisted entirely of original compositions by Lark, he wrote only three tunes for Sweet Return, complementing the standards "Bye Bye Blackbird," "The Last Time I Saw Paris" and

Billy Strayhorn

piano
1915 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train," as well as jazz evergreens by

Kenny Dorham

trumpet
1924 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Dorham ("Una Mas") and

Jimmy Rowles

piano
1918 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Rowles ("The Peacocks"). Completing the program are

Gil Evans

composer / conductor
1912 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Gil Evans' sensuous arrangement (for

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis) of Leo Delibes' "The Maids of Cadiz" and bass trombonist Tom Matta's clever synthesis of the standard "Just You, Just Me" and

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk's "Evidence." Lark solos trimly, on trumpet or flugelhorn, on all save two of the album's ten tracks, his own "Narrow Path" and "Old School." Lark also wrote the even-tempered "Rum Point," on which he shares solo space with pianist Mike Stryker and trombonist

Tim Coffman

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Coffman.

"Paris," a World War II morale-booster usually played as a ballad, is recast in Benson's arrangement as a full-on swinger whose nimble solos are by Benson, Lark, Coffman and Hamm. Attributed here to Cole Porter, "Paris" was—minor point—actually written by Jerome Kern with lyric by Oscar Hammerstein II. "Peacocks," while never a personal favorite in these parts, flows smoothly along in

Matt Ulery

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Ulery's tasteful arrangement behind fastidious solos by Lark, Benson and bassist

Joe Policastro

bass, acoustic
b.1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Policastro. "Old School," a medium-tempo nod to the Basie / Herman era amplifying ardent statements by Stryker, Policastro, Kostur, Hiebert, trumpeter Marques Carroll and trombonist Andy Baker, leads to the good-natured finale, "Just You, Just Me / Evidence," whose handsome solos are by Lark (flugel), Kostur and tenor

Scott Burns

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Burns. Drummer par excellence

Bob Rummage

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Rummage keeps the rhythm percolating, as he does on every number. Before closing, a word should be said about Dorham's funky "Una Mas," which opens the album on a tantalizing note (agile solos courtesy of Lark, Hamm and trombonist Craig Sunken), and "Bye Bye Blackbird," whose charming arrangement by Matta suavely seduces the ear.

Even though these gentlemen don't play together on a regular basis, this is by no means a "pickup band." Lark has taken care to enlist only seasoned pros who together make Sweet Return an album worth revisiting and enjoying often.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Una Mas; Bye, Bye Blackbird; The Maids Of Cadiz; Take The 'A' Train; Rum Point; The Last Time I Saw Paris; A Narrow Path; The Peacocks; Old School; Just You, Just Me/Evidence.

Personnel

Bob Lark

trumpet

Bob Lark: trumpet, flugelhorn; Randy Hamm: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Glenn Kostur: alto saxophone; Scott Burns: tenor saxophone; Chris Madsen: tenor saxophone; Mark Hiebert: baritone saxophone; Brent Turney: trumpet, flugelhorn; Dan Jonas: trumpet, flugelhorn; Marques Carroll: trumpet, flugelhorn; Kirk Garison: trumpet, flugelhorn; Andy Baker: trombone; Tim Coffman: trombone; Craig Sunken: trombone; Thomas Matta: bass trombone; Bob Rummage: drums; Joe Policastro: bass; Mike Stryker: piano (1-3, 5, 9); Pete Benson: piano (4, 6-8, 10).

Album information

Title: Sweet Return | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Jazzed Media

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