RICHARD BARATTA - Music In Film: The Reel Deal
Savant Records SCD2186
Bill O’Connell (piano, arrangements); Vincent Herring (alto sax, soprano sax, flute); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Michael Goetz (acoustic bass); Paul Rossman (congas, percussion); Carroll Scott (vocal track 6); Richard Baratta (drums, percussion)
No recording information
Even before the Covid-19 crisis, being a professional jazz musician was a precarious occupation. That is why many jazz artists (including those considered top-flight) are forced to supplement their income through clinics, jingles sessions, private tutoring, postings at academic institutions or occasionally supporting a pop artist on tour, a much more lucrative endeavour than a host of jazz gigs.
This was the situation drummer Richard Baratta found himself in the mid-1980s. Baratta had moved to New York in 1975 and played with many jazz musicians around the city (including the late saxophonist John Stubblefield and guitarist Vernon Reid), but decently paid gigs were sparse and sessions scarce. With a planned marriage, and later, a need to support a family, Baratta dropped out of the jazz scene and moved into the movie industry.
For the next three decades, Baratta worked himself up in the industry, becoming an executive producer on a number of films. The films he’s associated include, The Joker, The Irishman, The Wolf of Wall Street, plus a handful of Spiderman movies. But it seems that once that jazz bug has bitten you, it’s hard to shake it off, because in 2016, Baratta began playing gigs again.
Now, he’s recorded his first album as a leader and what better than to combine his two great artistic passions - film and jazz? Music In Film: The Reel Deal consists of twelve tunes taken from a wide range of movies, some of them associated with films Baratta has worked on (such as Big, and Across The Universe), along with staples such as The Godfather, Mrs Doubtfire, Midnight Cowboy and The Sound of Music. I should mention pianist Bill O’Connell, whose bold, imaginative arrangements on many old classic tunes, breathes new life into them.
The album kicks off with a sparkling version of Luck Be A Lady, played as a samba, with rip-roaring alto sax lines from Vincent Herring and exhilarating piano by O’Connell – you can imagine the whole band smiling as they recorded this. Everybody’s Talkin’ really swings and features some fluent guitar from Paul Bollenback. It also seamlessly switches to double time during a brisk piano solo by O’Connell. The ballad Alfie is beautifully executed, with Herring’s mournful sax and O’Connell’s delicate piano playing drawing out the emotion of the song.
A quirky arrangement of Chopsticks sees it played with a Latin feel, with Paul Rossman’s energetic conga beats, and Baratta’s explosive drum fills taking off at the coda. The Theme From The Godfather sees O’Connell’s propulsive piano playing evoking the spirit of McCoy Tyner (around the five-minute mark on the track, I was reminded of Coltrane’s My Favorite Things) and Baratta gets to play a fiery drum solo. The only vocal track is Seasons Of Love, featuring Carroll Scott on vocals. It’s well sung, features some sweet soprano sax lines and gentle piano playing, but for this listener’s ears, sails dangerously close to schmaltz.
The same can’t be said for the spirited version of The Beatles’ Come Together. It opens with a wah-wah guitar riff and a flute plays the main melody. Bollenbeck plays another impressive guitar solo, while Baratta holds everything together on drums and percussion. The remaining tunes, If I Only Had A Brain, Peter Gunn, The Sound Of Music and Let The River Run (the last tune features Bollenbeck’s blistering guitar) are all played well too. It’s enough to make you hope there will be a director’s cut of this album, or better still, a sequel or three.
Reviewed by George Cole
Savant Records SCD2186
Bill O’Connell (piano, arrangements); Vincent Herring (alto sax, soprano sax, flute); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Michael Goetz (acoustic bass); Paul Rossman (congas, percussion); Carroll Scott (vocal track 6); Richard Baratta (drums, percussion)
No recording information
Even before the Covid-19 crisis, being a professional jazz musician was a precarious occupation. That is why many jazz artists (including those considered top-flight) are forced to supplement their income through clinics, jingles sessions, private tutoring, postings at academic institutions or occasionally supporting a pop artist on tour, a much more lucrative endeavour than a host of jazz gigs.
This was the situation drummer Richard Baratta found himself in the mid-1980s. Baratta had moved to New York in 1975 and played with many jazz musicians around the city (including the late saxophonist John Stubblefield and guitarist Vernon Reid), but decently paid gigs were sparse and sessions scarce. With a planned marriage, and later, a need to support a family, Baratta dropped out of the jazz scene and moved into the movie industry.
For the next three decades, Baratta worked himself up in the industry, becoming an executive producer on a number of films. The films he’s associated include, The Joker, The Irishman, The Wolf of Wall Street, plus a handful of Spiderman movies. But it seems that once that jazz bug has bitten you, it’s hard to shake it off, because in 2016, Baratta began playing gigs again.
Now, he’s recorded his first album as a leader and what better than to combine his two great artistic passions - film and jazz? Music In Film: The Reel Deal consists of twelve tunes taken from a wide range of movies, some of them associated with films Baratta has worked on (such as Big, and Across The Universe), along with staples such as The Godfather, Mrs Doubtfire, Midnight Cowboy and The Sound of Music. I should mention pianist Bill O’Connell, whose bold, imaginative arrangements on many old classic tunes, breathes new life into them.
The album kicks off with a sparkling version of Luck Be A Lady, played as a samba, with rip-roaring alto sax lines from Vincent Herring and exhilarating piano by O’Connell – you can imagine the whole band smiling as they recorded this. Everybody’s Talkin’ really swings and features some fluent guitar from Paul Bollenback. It also seamlessly switches to double time during a brisk piano solo by O’Connell. The ballad Alfie is beautifully executed, with Herring’s mournful sax and O’Connell’s delicate piano playing drawing out the emotion of the song.
A quirky arrangement of Chopsticks sees it played with a Latin feel, with Paul Rossman’s energetic conga beats, and Baratta’s explosive drum fills taking off at the coda. The Theme From The Godfather sees O’Connell’s propulsive piano playing evoking the spirit of McCoy Tyner (around the five-minute mark on the track, I was reminded of Coltrane’s My Favorite Things) and Baratta gets to play a fiery drum solo. The only vocal track is Seasons Of Love, featuring Carroll Scott on vocals. It’s well sung, features some sweet soprano sax lines and gentle piano playing, but for this listener’s ears, sails dangerously close to schmaltz.
The same can’t be said for the spirited version of The Beatles’ Come Together. It opens with a wah-wah guitar riff and a flute plays the main melody. Bollenbeck plays another impressive guitar solo, while Baratta holds everything together on drums and percussion. The remaining tunes, If I Only Had A Brain, Peter Gunn, The Sound Of Music and Let The River Run (the last tune features Bollenbeck’s blistering guitar) are all played well too. It’s enough to make you hope there will be a director’s cut of this album, or better still, a sequel or three.
Reviewed by George Cole
