|
Dan
Moretti and Once Through Have
Some New Stories To Tell Less
than a year after issuing their sublime debut, Dan
Moretti and Once Through return with their second collection of
inspired and courageous jazz. Stories
features more exciting work from bandleader Moretti, a man that has made
it a habit to produce some of the region’s very finest (and most
eclectic) jazz sounds. Of
course, Moretti can’t do it alone--no jazzer can--and Once
Through is doubtless an ensemble effort. Comprised of Marty
Ballou on bass, Tim Ray
on keys, Bruce Bartlett on
guitar, and Marty Richards on
drums, Once Through traverses the jazz worlds of Latin, straight-ahead,
balladry, even funk--without a bumpy shifting of gears. “The
Moment” has a slow bossa nova feel and was, according to Moretti,
inspired by Wayne Shorter. That tune merges with the very funky and
playful “Pelican Blues” which in turn segues into the Coltrane-imbued
sax on “Midnight’s Call.” Elsewhere, the ghost of Brubeck hovers
over the fleet and sweet “Club 43.” “San Giorgio,” a tune
dedicated to the ship that brought Moretti’s grandfather over from
Italy early last century, is introspective and nearly profound. The
disc’s sole cover, the Beatles’ “And I Love
Her” is, like “Midnight’s Call,” a spiritual workout
stemming from Moretti’s admiration of tenor-master Coltrane. Somehow,
in the arrangements, the playing, and in the spirit of the sessions,
these tunes blend together seamlessly, effortlessly. It’s a tribute to
the band’s magical musicality and Moretti’s exuberant leadership
that this happens. As
with the Once Through
debut, Stories
is true to the band’s name. Recording, the band does its takes
“once through” in an effort to capture the spontaneity, the happy
accidents that occur when you put talented and inspired people into a
studio setting. Though the only jam tune, per se, is the epic closer “Jamji,”
each and every song on the disc was recorded on its first or second run
through. The result, nicely recorded and mixed at Sound
Station Seven in Providence, is a crackling and vibrant jazz
experience, full of lyrical twists, melodic turns, and just plain fiery
performances. “Writing and performing music is always shaped by momentary influence,” says Moretti. “It is my feeling that in those moments anything is possible.” Indeed, Moretti and Once Through have proved on the new Stories that this pearl of wisdom is truer than ever. Next opportunity, why not hear them tell their Stories?
|
  
|
