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Jon De Lucia Breathes New Life into 1940s Charts Written for Dave Brubeck on "The Brubeck Octet Project" Ever curious about the underexplored corners of jazz history, alto saxophonist Jon De Lucia breathes new life into one important such chapter with The Brubeck Octet Project, dropping July 12 on his own Musćum Clausum Recordings imprint. The album documents De Lucia and his octet’s rediscovery and reconditioning of the arrangements played by the Dave Brubeck Octet, the innovative 1946-1950 unit with which the iconic West Coast pianist began his career. De Lucia’s octet predates The Brubeck Octet Project. He formed the band in 2016 for another project at City College of New York (where he then taught), but it quickly became a weekly reading band, leaving the saxophonist constantly in search for new (old) repertoire. It was this quest that led him to the archives at Mills College (Brubeck’s alma mater), where he found many of the Brubeck Octet’s original handwritten charts in the papers of the band’s tenor sax and arranger, Dave Van Kriedt. “They were a bit of a mess, full of mistakes and scribbles that made them hard to read, ” recalls De Lucia in the album’s liner notes. “I always wanted to take the time to put them into notation software, fix the mistakes, rehearse a band, and record this music anew. Finally, thanks to support from CUNY and the Brubeck and Van Kriedt families, it has happened.” Jazz being jazz, however, De Lucia also sought ways to make his own mark on the work—and to allow his collaborators to do the same. He wrote new intros and backgrounds for the arrangements (by Brubeck, Van Kriedt, and baritonist/clarinetist Bill Smith), and, more importantly, expanded their solo spaces, giving his musicians room to have their say. Listeners get to reap those rewards. From De Lucia’s own muscular alto workout on “I Hear a Rhapsody” to pianist Glenn Zaleski, tenor saxophonist Scott Robinson, and trumpeter Brandon Lee’s gleeful runs on “IPCA” to Robinson and trombonist Becca Patterson’s thoughtful, enigmatic submissions on “What Is This Thing Called Love, ” the players offer irresistible interpretations and expressions on the historical arrangements. As such, the music both remains a product of its time—an experimental thrill ride of the early bebop era—and crackles with renewed vigor and spontaneity at the hands of De Lucia and his cohorts. “This is the first time in 74 years that this music has been played and recorded again, ” the alto saxophonist writes. “I think the results turned out great!” Indeed they have. Tracks 1. Curtain Music (Brubeck) (0:38) 2. Love Walked In (Gershwin) (4:18) 3. Fugue on Bop Themes (Van Kriedt) (4:05) 4. Let’s Fall In Love (Arlen-Koehler) (4:30) 5. IPCA (Smith) (5:59) 6. September in the Rain (Warren-Dubin) (6:21) 7. I Hear A Rhapsody (Fragos-Baker-Gasparre) (5:18) 8. The Way You Look Tonight (Kern) (2:57) 9. Prelude (Van Kriedt) (4:39) 10. What Is This Thing Called Love? (Porter) (4:12) 11. Love Me or Leave Me (Donaldson-Kahn) (5:55) 12. Closing Theme (Brubeck) (0:37) Total Run Time: 49 Minutes Arrangements by Dave Van Kriedt (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11), Bill Smith (5, 10) and Dave Brubeck (1, 8, 12) with additional arranging by Jon De Lucia Personnel Jon De Lucia - Alto Saxophone, Leader Brandon Lee - Trumpet Scott Robinson - Tenor Saxophone Becca Patterson - Trombone Jay Rattman - Baritone Saxophone and Clarinet Glenn Zaleski - Piano Daniel Duke - Bass Keith Balla - Drums |
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