When I saw this disc perched on the new release shelf, all I could do was laugh. I immediately thought of how, as a boy, I�d run home from school, pour a big bowl of Total cereal and plop down in front of the TV for 30 minutes of Japan�s No. 1 superhero, Ultraman.
What kind of man would endeavor to transform what is at heart cheesy sci-fi music into smooth, groovin� jazz lines? Toshiki Nunokawa would, apparently. I have no idea who he is or who the other musicians in his project are, nor do I have any inkling what possessed them to head into the studio with these particular tunes. Probably just a simple case of otaku.
Whatever his motivation, I�m glad Nunokawa recorded this set. Any fan of Ultraman, the Science Patrol, Pigmon and bad actors in polyurethane monster suits will also be glad. The kernel of each tune will be instantly recognizable to the Ultraman aficionado; the liberties the six musicians take with each theme will cause a chuckle.
However, the music itself is quality jazz. Even if you don�t like Ultraman or understand the cult that has been built around his �family,� if you�re a jazz fan you should like this disc. It�s good music played by men who obviously know their swing from their �schwatch!�
Okay, I admit it. I�m a terrible bore. Driven by some innate force I cannot control, I cave in every time I see a new Vince Guaraldi release. Call me a one-man crusader trying to get more people to discover the late pianist�s astonishing music.
This disc is one I�ve been anticipating for a long, long time. Guaraldi�s music from �A Charlie Brown Christmas� has been available for at least a decade, but the tunes from the other Peanuts specials had been collecting dust like Pig Pen in some vault for much longer. It�s about time they were shown the light of day.
Just as the work of Carl Stalling, the composer of classic Warner Bros. Looney Tunes soundtracks, has been recognized as art separate from the animation it accompanied, Guaraldi�s scores have been lauded as colorful, pioneering jazz pieces that went much deeper than mere �cartoon music.�
The 14 tracks on the CD cover The Big Three: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. There�s �Great Pumpkin Waltz,� �Thanksgiving Theme,� �Charlie Brown Theme� and �Schroeder,� each sure to conjure up images of Charles Schultz�s wonderful story lines and memories of watching on your living room floor.
Above and beyond this association, however, is the quality of Guaraldi�s composition and the unique sound of his playing. Yes, it�s the music from Peanuts (this alone makes it enjoyable and wonderfully nostalgic), but it�s also outstanding jazz.
Few guitarists have had as much crossover impact as Joe Pass. His disciples include Stanley Jordan, whose two-handed manipulation of the guitar neck is a direct descendant of Pass� �hammering� technique, and Charlie Hunter, who took Pass� methods one step further by designing a guitar that has two bass strings to complement its six standard strings. Some guitarists have gone as far as expressing feelings of remorse after hearing Pass perform live, lamenting that they could never match the virtuoso�s accomplishments on the instrument.
Though listeners will probably not be as awestruck by �Unforgettable,� they should be suitably impressed by Pass� renditions of 17 standards, including �My Romance,� �Walkin� My Baby Back Home� and �April In Paris.�
The solo performance, recorded in August 1992, is quiet and classy, soothing and silky. As I listened to the disc, I imagined Pass seated on an empty stage bathed in the subdued glow of a filtered spotlight. Separating the music from the man became impossible, as if the sounds I was hearing were coming from heartstrings, not guitar strings. (Hey, I can dish purple prose with the best of �em.)
Though some of the songs are so familiar that they could be labeled as contrived, Pass� treatment is so eloquent and precise that it�s difficult not to enjoy each one. It is music suited for relaxing, wooing or reading.
Albums like this have been around for ages. A musician thinks to himself, �I like such-and-such a band�s music so much that the muse demands I transmogrify it so it fits my own idiom.�
Hey, I obviously love jazz, but I can take only so much. This is not to say that Joshua Breakstone is not a talented jazz musician; nor is it my intention to criticize his band as a bunch of lackeys who don�t know how to play. No, Breakstone and his cronies are excellent musicians who have turned such Lennon/McCartney classics as �I Want To Hold Your Hand,� �Penny Lane� and �Hey Jude� into intriguing jazz experiments.
The rub is, it all seems hokey after a few minutes. Whereas the �Ultraman Jazz� disc is dealing with largely unfamiliar melodies and is therefore interesting to listen to, �Jazz Meets The Beatles� fizzles out almost as soon as it begins. Sure, it�s neato and boss to hear jazzed-up Beatles tunes, but the fact is that we don�t need to hear jazzed up Beatles tunes. It�s jazz, but it is frighteningly reminiscent of stuff you�d hear being piped through the speakers at Daiei or in your favorite elevator.
Die-hard Beatles fans might find this amusing. But after the amusement wears off, it�s just annoying.
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