RANDY WALDMAN - Superheroes
BFM Jazz
Randy Waldman: piano, trumpet, vocals; George Benson: guitar; Wayne Bergeron: trumpet; Randy Brecker: trumpet; Till Bronner: trumpet; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Chick Corea: piano; Eddie Daniels: clarinet; Carlitos del Puerto: bass; Brandon Fields: saxes; Steve Gadd: drums; Joe Lovano: sax; Wynton Marsalis: trumpet; Bob McChesney: trombone; Michael O’Neill: guitar; Rafael Padilla: percussion; Arturo Sandoval: trumpet Stephen Szabadi: trombones.
vocal cameos from James Brolin, Michael Buble, Jeff Goldblum, Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta
You could be forgiven for thinking that the title of this set comes from the stellar list of musicians who Waldman has assembled here. Given a career that has lasted over 40 years, I guess he has some address book to look up and you’d imagine all of these people would be on speed-dial. If you’re a fan of Barbra Streisand, then you’ll recognise Walden as her pianist and arranger; if you’re not a fan, then his Grammys and his tenure with George Benson add weight to his credentials.
There are many ways in which an album of jazz covers of tunes from superhero films and television programmes could have fallen flat. The themes themselves are so well known that they can not only be sketched with a couple of notes but also these notes conjure up images of the characters and their adventures. Not only that, the tunes themselves are so immediate that they lack subtlety, which might be part of their charm. Not only that, many of the tunes came from that period of late ‘60s and early ‘70s cinema and tv that seemed to have milked the sound of Big Band jazz until there was little left but parody of the style.
And yet... What Walden’s arrangements do is retain the kitsch (adding vocal effects heightens this further) but he drills into the charts and pulls out some eloquent variations. The eloquence is heightened by the lines that the soloists play on the tunes. So, even if you want to hear theme tunes from Spiderman, Superman, Batman, or Mighty Mouse (among others) played as serious jazz, then you’re in for a treat with this CD.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
BFM Jazz
Randy Waldman: piano, trumpet, vocals; George Benson: guitar; Wayne Bergeron: trumpet; Randy Brecker: trumpet; Till Bronner: trumpet; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Chick Corea: piano; Eddie Daniels: clarinet; Carlitos del Puerto: bass; Brandon Fields: saxes; Steve Gadd: drums; Joe Lovano: sax; Wynton Marsalis: trumpet; Bob McChesney: trombone; Michael O’Neill: guitar; Rafael Padilla: percussion; Arturo Sandoval: trumpet Stephen Szabadi: trombones.
vocal cameos from James Brolin, Michael Buble, Jeff Goldblum, Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta
You could be forgiven for thinking that the title of this set comes from the stellar list of musicians who Waldman has assembled here. Given a career that has lasted over 40 years, I guess he has some address book to look up and you’d imagine all of these people would be on speed-dial. If you’re a fan of Barbra Streisand, then you’ll recognise Walden as her pianist and arranger; if you’re not a fan, then his Grammys and his tenure with George Benson add weight to his credentials.
There are many ways in which an album of jazz covers of tunes from superhero films and television programmes could have fallen flat. The themes themselves are so well known that they can not only be sketched with a couple of notes but also these notes conjure up images of the characters and their adventures. Not only that, the tunes themselves are so immediate that they lack subtlety, which might be part of their charm. Not only that, many of the tunes came from that period of late ‘60s and early ‘70s cinema and tv that seemed to have milked the sound of Big Band jazz until there was little left but parody of the style.
And yet... What Walden’s arrangements do is retain the kitsch (adding vocal effects heightens this further) but he drills into the charts and pulls out some eloquent variations. The eloquence is heightened by the lines that the soloists play on the tunes. So, even if you want to hear theme tunes from Spiderman, Superman, Batman, or Mighty Mouse (among others) played as serious jazz, then you’re in for a treat with this CD.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
