Pianist
Ted Kooshian is well known to fans of
the Ed Palermo Big Band, though this is only his second outing as a leader. Like
Palermo, he's not one to be satisfied with playing the same mix of standards and familiar jazz compositions. Instead, he mostly opts for a mix of television theme songs and rock, with plenty of surprises in store, while keeping the listener hooked with imaginative arrangements. Most of the folks who remember "Top Cat" are likely to have been born before 1961, but
Kooshian delivers a spirited interpretation, with
Jeff Lederer swinging along with him on tenor sax. "Captain Kangaroo" is the theme from the long-running children's show, though the pianist transforms it into a driving 7/8 groove that wails. "Spider Man" is a hoot, played in a classic, bluesy New Orleans setting, with a bit of stride piano and
Lederer's mournful clarinet. He revamps "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" into furious post-bop, while slowly building the tension in a funky treatment of "Bullitt." The rock songs work just as well.
Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" settles into a soulful groove comparable to the work of
Eddie Harris and
Les McCann.
Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" is a curious alchemy of musical elements, including gospel and pop with the occasional air of ancient English folk, with delicious solos by
Kooshian and
Lederer (the latter on soprano sax). Finally, there is one standard, a breezy setting of the show tune "Baubles, Bangles and Beads."
Ted Kooshian's Standard Orbit Quartet is out of this world! ~ Ken Dryden