Let's Get Lost:The Songs of Jimmy McHugh by Terence Blanchard-Sony

Description: Like everything else we consider quintessentially American, the songs of Jimmy McHugh are familiar, but not prescriptive - music that's as flexible as it is appealing. It's no wonder that, for trumpeter Terence Blanchard, these songs form fertile ground for personal expression, and that Blanchard would look at them not just as a jazz trumpeter, but through a prism of his own creation as arranger.McHugh was born in Boston just before the turn of the century, into a culture that was about to explode with homegrown creative ingenuity - jazz in Harlem, Broadway musicals, Tin Pan Alley tunes, and a burgeoning film industry in Hollywood. In New York, he became house composer for the legendary Cotton Club, writing songs for the likes of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. This early immersion in jazz would influence all of McHugh's work, most of which was composed with Broadway casts and Hollywood starlets in mind. His melodies are ingrained in our popular consciousness: "I'm In The Mood For Love," "On The Sunny Side Of The Street," "Let's Get Lost," among others. Blanchard has encountered McHugh's composi tions again and again on bandstands, and on classic recordings, rendered by the likes of John Coltrane, "Cannonball" Adderley, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Ella Fitzgerald. Here, Blanchard uses some of McHugh's repertoire as the springboard for his own thoroughly modern statements.Once again, his skills as a collaborator shine. This is Blanchard's third project with executive producer Laraine Perri; their productions have lent conceptual depth and studio glimmer to his already strong aesthetic. And the album showcases Blanchard's ongoing work with vocalists, something too many of his peers shy away from. Here, Blanchard employs four singers of diverse and distinct talents, casting them as characters in a musical of his own device.Diana Krall's smoky timbre and restrained delivery inhabit the suggestive world of "Let's Get Lost." The pristine voice and unaffected style of 23-year-old Jane Monheit lend irony as well as believability to "Too Young To Go Steady" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Dianne Reeves's rhythmic sway and harmonic innovation hint at the complicated emotional and musical terrain of "I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me" and "Can't Get Out Of This Mood." Cassandra Wilson's bluesy sensuality reinvents "On The Sunny Side Of The Street." Her emotional honesty updates "Don't Blame Me."Evocative as the singers are, the central character is Blanchard's wonderfully expressive horn, which has over the past twenty years blended the smears and curls and choked-off notes of his roots with some decidedly modern ideas. Blanchard solos with fire and abandon, but manages also to sing each tune with clarity and conviction, especially on an instrumental version of "Lost In A Fog." The ensemble players at the heart of things are Blanchard's solid, seasoned quintet, including longtime partner, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Derek Nievergelt, drummer Eric Harland, and tenor saxophonist Brice Winston.Blanchard's interpretations of McHugh's music succeed largely through the inventive arrangements; each piece takes wild leaps of harmony and rhythm. ORDER BEFORE 2 PM CENTRAL - SAME DAY SHIPPINGPRMCD246

Price: 14.99 USD

Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota

End Time: 2024-12-25T00:35:24.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.63 USD