The fifth in the series by the legendary pianist (who played with
Dizzy Gillespie, has done film scores, and also is accomplished in the classical field) breaks new ground by adding a full jazz band to the WDR Rundfunkorchester of Cologne; only
Duke Ellington and
Woody Herman attempted such an amalgam before. The orchestra blends well here with the rhythm section built on
Christian McBride,
Jeff Hamilton, and
Schifrin himself; other featured performers are saxophonist David Sanchez and trumpeter
James Morrison.
Schifrin wrote the ambitious opening title track, which features Sanchez's honking tenor weaving in and out of a percussion weave of drums and strings; the middle of the piece features a conversation between drums and bass, then a wafting sax echoed by wild and swirling orchestral swells. The orchestra is used almost as a single instrument. Morrison's trumpet and flugelhorn are the focus of "Scheherazade Fantasy," which begins ominous and moody before evolving into a swinging big band-flavored number.
Schifrin chooses an interesting array of material, from
Coltrane's plaintive "Naima" to
Horace Silver's whimsical "Tokyo Blues," which musically conveys the chaotic nature of city traffic. Another unique inclusion is
Alex North's "Spartacus," which is given a lyrical reading by Sanchez without too much cacophony. An original approach to jazz by numerous masters. ~ Jonathan Widran