Fight the Big Bull all set to release album
Trumpeter Steven Bernstein’s visit to Richmond in February 2009 did not only mean amazing performances with Fight the Big Bull at RVAJazzfest, The Robinson Theater, and Cous Cous, or valuable hang time between younger musicians and a musical idol. Since it’s been a whole year, it’s easy to forget that half of his 10 days in town was devoted to recording an album with the Big Bull.
Trumpeter Steven Bernstein’s visit to Richmond in February 2009 did not only mean amazing performances with Fight the Big Bull at RVAJazzfest, The Robinson Theater, and Cous Cous, or valuable hang time between younger musicians and a musical idol. Since it’s been a whole year, it’s easy to forget that half of his 10 days in town was devoted to recording an album with the Big Bull.
On May 10, that album will be released, again on the Portuguese label Clean Feed Records. In an informal email conversation, Clean Feed manager Pedro Costa expressed to me their excitement about the band’s new album:
Everybody here that heard the CD is also nuts. The music is a total masterpiece! What a big step they took from the first to this new CD… It’s amazing the music and the spirit!… We released over 170 CD’s already and this is surely one of the best we ever did… I met them last September and everybody was great. Great spirit, great enthusiasm, great music. I’m trying to get the band over [to Europe] next year. It’s not easy because of the flights but it would drive people crazy. We’ll see about that!
So in anticipation of hearing it for ourselves, behold the pretty artwork and details.
Personnel: Jason Scott, tenor saxophone, clarinet, alto saxophone / J.C. Kuhl, tenor saxophone, clarinet / John Lilley, tenor saxophone / Steven Bernstein, trumpet, slide trumpet / Bob Miller, trumpet / Reggie Pace, trombone / Bryan Hooten, trombone / Matt White, guitar / Cameron Ralston, bass / Brian Jones, percussion / Pinson Chanselle, trap Kit + Eddie Prendergast, electric bass on track 7
Track listing: Mobile Tigers / Mothra / The Sacred Harp / Jemima Surrender / Gold Lions / All is Gladness in The Kingdom / Eddie and Cameron Strike Back/Satchel Paige / Martin Denny / Rockers
Recorded Feb 20-24 by Lance Koehler at Minimum Wage Studios / Mixed Feb 25, April 13 and April 20, 2009 by Lance Koehler, Matthew White and Steven Bernstein at Minimum Wage Studios / Mastered by Gene Paul at DB Plus Studios April 23, 2009 / Produced by Matt White and Steven Bernstein / Executive production by Trem Azul / Design by Travassos / Fightthebigbull.com
Guitarist, composer and arranger Matt White is back with his unique big band, Fight the Big Bull. And he brings with him a very special guest, Steven Bernstein, who trumpets all the way, contributes with a couple of scores, is the co-arranger, and also the co-producer. We feel his presence in every corner of the music, but this is, undoubtedly, a project coming from White’s creativity and vision. Once again, there’s direct or undirect references to Charles Mingus, and specially to the album “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady”, but synthesized in a personal and up-to-date project. It goes from unison melodies to free playing very near organized chaos, and from groovy situations to contrapuntal marvels which certainly would make Bach proud. The good spirited, but ironic, “All is Gladness in the Kingdom” has a particularly interesting focus: the relations constructed between the reed/brass section (Jason Scott, J.C. Kuhl, John Lilley, Bernstein, Bob Miller, Reggie Pace, and Bryan Hooten), and Matt White’s electric guitar, above a powerful rhythmic base sustained by the percussionists Brian Jones and Pinson Chanselle and by the contrabassist Cameron Ralston – in one track reinforced by Eddie Prendergast and his electric bass. Everything sounds like a machine going nuts, and that’s wonderful.
Recommended reading:
Interview with Steven Bernstein before his collaboration with Fight the Big Bull at RVAJazzfest 2009
Interview with Fight the Big Bull’s Matt White about Steven Bernstein before RVAJazzfest 2009
RVAJazz’s review of Fight the Big Bull’s debut album Dying Will Be Easy on All About Jazz
Fight the Big Bull signed to Clean Feed Records, December 2007
-
Recommend this
on Facebook -
Report an error
-
Subscribe to our
Weekly Digest
There is 1 reader comment. Read it.