Mike Vax & MVJO CD "Alternate Route"
Cadence Magazine | Vol. 26 No. 5 | May 2000
THE REVIEW of JAZZ & BLUES: CREATIVE IMPROVISED MUSIC
MIKE VAX and MVJO, ALTERNATE ROUTE, Sea Breeze 2102
Alternate Route; Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most; I'm Old Fashioned; Variations on a Brazilian Folk Song; What a Wonderful World; It Might as Well Be Spring; New Wages; Splank; San Miguel; Duke Ellington, Sound of Love; Embraceable You; Music for Dancing (67:33).
Mike Vax, director, trumpet, flugelhorn; Rory Snyder, Larry de la Cruz, as, flute; Alex Murzyn, tenor saz, flute, clarient; James Carraway, tenor sax; Howard Cespedes, baritone sax, bass clarinet; Marvin McFadden, Steve Campos, Rolf Johnson, Tim Acosta, trumpet, flugelhorn; Dean Hubbard, Troy Ostwald, Peggy Vax, trombone; Mara Fox, Neil van Valkenburgh, bass trombone; Si Perkoff, piano; Randy Vincent, guitar; Mario Suraci, bass; Dave Rokeach, drums. With guests Pete Escovedo, percussion; Cami Thompson, vocals. Richmond, CA 2/20-23/99
Mike Vax, who spent some time in Kenton's trumpet section (1970-72), has nothing but good things to say about Stan, and has in fact spearheaded a number of tributes to his mentor, at least one of which has been recorded. On this new release, however, Vax chooses an Alternate Route, supervising a series of marvelous contemporary compositions and arrangements as director of the high-spirited and immoderately talented New Oakland Jazz Orchestra (NOJO). How good are they? Let's hear from no less an authority than Kenton's former chief arranger, Pete Rugolo; "This...is one of the finest big-band CDs I've heard in years. It contains some exciting new compositions and truly interesting arrangements of great standard tunes...
The lead playing and the section playing is completely together and swings in all the right places, while the rhythm section lays down a wonderful groove in every style." We couldn't agree more, Pete. Rugolo also singles out for special praise the solos by Vax, tenor saxophonist Alex Murzyn, guitarist Randy Vincent and trumpeter Steve Campos, and again he's right on the money. The bright new compositions he alludes to include Bennett Freedman's clever "Variations on a Brazilian Folk Song," Jules Rowell's Basie-esque "Splank" John Lueke's sunny "San Miguel" and a pair of aces by Howard Cespedes, the charming title selection and tasteful "New Wages."
Standards include "I'm Old Fashioned," "What a Wonderful World," "Duke Ellington, Sound of Love" and two glowing charts (by Cespedes and Rolf Johnson, respectively) for talented guest vocalist Cami Thompson, "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Embraceable You." Another guest, percussionist Pete Escovedo, helps enliven "New Wages" and "San Miguel." Campos is showcased on Tom Wolf's "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most," and NOJO wraps up the package with the seldom-heard masterpiece by Al Cohn, "Music for Dancing." This music is not only for Dancing but for absorbing and admiring, and the not-for-profit New Oakland Jazz Orchestra is off to a galloping start.
Warmly recommended.
— J. Bowers
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