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Bevan Manson featuring Tierney Sutton with The Hollywood Studio Orchestra: Talking to Trees

By Nicholas F. Mondello
October 4, 2024
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Bevan Manson featuring Tierney Sutton with The Hollywood Studio Orchestra: Talking to Trees

Bevan Manson is an artist who has a creative duality. As a pianist, composer/arranger and educator, he's been successful in classical and jazz environments. With Talking to Trees, Manson provides an array of both originals and jazz standards, most with an arboreal tint, as the title indicates. The work is a validation that his pen, guiding the talents of vocalist

Tierney Sutton

vocals
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Tierney Sutton and L.A.'s premium players, can make the familiar fascinating and the novel intriguing.

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' "All Blues" presents a soundscape—something consistent throughout the session—that is painted by melismatic voice, strings, and winds. It moves into the main melody in its triple-metered format with Sutton's voice and ensemble. The voice-over rhythm and strings is a fairy's scat and dance. A dark

Ed Neumeister

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Ed Neumeister muted plunger solo adds a sardonic touch before closing. Tierney Sutton opens "Banyan Tree/Take the "A" Train" before spoken word and the woodwinds harmonically complex playing preface her up- tempo take on the standard which, with reharmonized and contrapuntal lines and

Jeff Driskill

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Driskill's flute solo over

Bernie Dresel

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Bernie Dresel's drive. Percussion clicks and clacks under a violin solo. "Willow Weep for Me" has Sutton stating the balladic lines over a woodwind choir and Manson's keys. Both he and

Luca Alemanno

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Luca Alemanno add solos. "Redwood," is a light bossa nova feel with strings with added harp and trumpet before evolving into a lilting, light-textured groove in which

Gordon Au

trumpet
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Gordon Au trumpets a brief solo.

There have been many recordings that attempt to combine classical textures and/or instrumentation with jazz. Certain works of

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

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

Gunther Schuller

composer / conductor
1925 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Gunther Schuller and

David Amram

multi-instrumentalist
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">David Amram, for example. Sometimes, in lesser-qualified hands, the novelty lacks substantive honesty as one genre mimes the other. It is a high-wire act, at best. At worst, it can become comedic and a toss-away. Here, Manson's use of strings, harp, and an abundance of various woodwind doublings, especially those in a more complex harmonic approach, keeps things in equilibrium. Sutton's voice, with all of its subtleties and dynamic inflection is a perfect fit for Manson's more embellished presentations. Her lyric interpretation blends well with what surrounds her harmonically.

Mixed winds preface Katherine Liner singing on "Sleepin' Bee" slowly and with a theatrical bent. Added woodwinds and

Joe Locke

vibraphone
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Locke's vibes give the effort an Impressionistic texture. "Mr. PC," from

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane for

Paul Chambers

bass, acoustic
1935 - 1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Chambers, has strings sawing away before things go into a Latin undertow.

Rick Todd

" data-original-title="" title="">Rick Todd and

Ira Nepus

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Ira Nepus offer solos. This is a highlight track. Sutton's voice offers "SprigSpring" blooming into a vocal trio with Mandy Kahn and Bevan Manson joining. Images of windblown trees and their avian content swirl about. The late

Mike Lang

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Lang joins Manson's keyboards. Luca Alemanno spins a ride while

Joe La Barbera

drums
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe La Barbera's drum support. The selection moves from a slower tempo to a prestissimo. "SprigSpring" is a 13-minute concerto centerpiece with Prokofiev-like imagery. It is a provocative, imaginative track. Its subsequent epilogue, a slow painting, features clarinets and bassoon singing along with Manson's piano and a trio of voices building to a climactic end.

Talking to Trees is an expansive concept. It is intellectual yet engaging and eccentric. Its theatrical approach and complex harmonies and lyrics may either tickle, irritate, or fascinate. Whatever one's individual reaction, the effort is a large offering of texture and talent.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

All Blues: Banyan Tree/Take the 'A' Train; Willow Weep for Me;Redwood; Dance of the Mangrove Trees; A Sleepin' Bee; Mr. PC; SprigSpring; SprigSpring Epilogue.

Personnel

Bevan Manson

piano

Tierney Sutton

vocals

Joe Locke

vibraphone

Gordon Au

trumpet

Bob Sheppard

saxophone, tenor

Danny Janklow

saxophone

Tom Rizzo

guitar

Luca Alemanno

bass

Tony Dumas

bass

Kenny Wild

bass

Edwin Livingston

bass

Joe La Barbera

drums

Bernie Dresel

drums

Kendall Kay

drums

Joey DeLeon

percussion

Additional Instrumentation

The Hollywood Studio Orchestra; Katherine Liner: vocal (6).

Album information

Title: Talking to Trees | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Tiger Turn Records

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