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Jeff Benedict Big Band: The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful

By Jack Bowers
January 30, 2021
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Jeff Benedict Big Band: The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful

As saxophonist

Jeff Benedict

saxophone
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Benedict is a professor emeritus of music at California State University-Los Angeles, he shouldn't be overly concerned if an impartial observer should decide to grade the southern California-based Jeff Benedict Big Band's second album, The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful. After careful listening, herewith is the report card. Brass and reeds: A. Rhythm section: A. Cohesion: A. Swing quotient: A. Soloists: A. Choice of material: A. Arrangements: A. Album title: A+.

In sum, Benedict leads a grade-A ensemble, one that benefits enormously from his engaging compositions and arrangements and takes to them like ducks to water. For the record, Benedict wrote four of the album's admirable themes and arranged all of them. Among those he didn't write, Irving Berlin's venerable standard, "Cheek to Cheek," is alone worth the price of admission, presenting the sax section with a formidable exam that it aces with honors.

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' seductive "Nardis" is fairly well-known, as is Frank Churchill's "Someday My Prince Will Come," from the Disney film Snow White, remodeled here as "The Fotomat Song" (someday my prints will come—get it?).

Less familiar but no less charming are

Quincy Jones

arranger
1933 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Quincy Jones' undulating "Hikky Burr"—which rings down the curtain—

David Arnay

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">David Arnay's New Orleans-themed "Mighty Dollar" or Sandy Megas' playful and skittish "Tom and Jerry" (dedicated to L.A. studio legends

Tom Scott

saxophone, tenor
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Scott and Jerry Hey). As for Benedict, he wrote the shuffling, soulful opener, "Moonscape," the hard-swinging "Weather Is Here," the minor blues "Armadillo Research" and multi-sided "Ant Dance" (inspired, Benedict writes, by the music of

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny). Benedict solos brightly on alto sax ("Nardis," "Armadillo Research," "Ant Dance," "The Mighty Dollar," "Tom and Jerry") and soprano ("The Fotomat Song"). Another of the band's blue-chip soloists, trombonist

Paul McKee

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul McKee, is superb on the first five numbers but for reasons unknown vanishes afterward. McKee, baritone

Charlie Richard

saxophone, baritone

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Richard, pianist

Jeff Hellmer

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Hellmer and tenor

Jeff Ellwood

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Ellwood are exemplary on "The Weather Is Here," as are Ellwood and guitarist

Dave Askren

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Askren on "Moonscape," McKee and Hellmer on "Nardis," Askren on "Ant Dance," Hellmer and the resilient sax section on "Cheek to Cheek," Ellwood on "The Mighty Dollar" and (with Askren and trumpeter

Steve Hawk

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Hawk) on "Hikky Burr." Benedict and trumpeter

Brian Bettger

flugelhorn

" data-original-title="" title="">Brian Bettger are more than able replacements for "Tom and Jerry."

On further examination, The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful affords no grounds on which to award a less than commendable grade. Benedict gave the band its assignment, and the band completed it without mischance. The letter grades speak for themselves, as does the written appraisal.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Moonscape; Nardis; The Fotomat Song; The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful; Armadillo Research; Ant Dance; Cheek to Cheek; The Mighty Dollar; Tom and Jerry; Hikky Burr.

Personnel

Jeff Benedict

saxophone

David Caffey

composer / conductor

Steve Hawk

trumpet

Kevin Mayse

trumpet

Brian Bettger

flugelhorn

Tom Tallman

trumpet

Adrian Williamson

saxophone, alto

Ken Foerch

saxophone, tenor

Jeff Ellwood

saxophone, tenor

Charlie Richard

saxophone, baritone

Paul McKee

trombone

Jacques Voyemant

trombone

Alex Henderson

trombone

Jerry Amoury

trombone, bass

Dave Askren

guitar

Jeff Hellmer

piano

Jonathan Pintoff

bass

Dean Koba

drums

Album information

Title: The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Self Produced

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