Reviewed by Eric Shifrin

Eric Marienthal, Sal Lozano, Bob Sheppard, Frank Macchia, Gene Cippriano,  Jay Mason  on woodwinds.  Peter Erskine on drums.

Saxolollapalooza is a thoroughly enjoyable set consisting of a dozen tunes featuring the arrangements of Frank Macchia with a six-piece saxophone / woodwind ensemble, comprised of Eric Marienthal, Sal Lozano, Bob Sheppard, Frank Macchia, Gene Cippriano, Jay Mason, and renowned drummer Peter Erskine.

Macchia’s group flies out of the gate with an up-tempo, hip-hop version of Benny Goodman’s “Air Mail Special,” a song on which all of the musicians’ credentials are established on the high-energy flag waver.  The mood settles with “Down By the Riverside,” the first of several traditional and public domain tunes which are featured. During the course of, “Down By The Riverside,” there is a short tour of Americana, from fife and drums á la Charles Ives to reminders of Ray Charles and finally, a New Orleans second-line.

Saxolollapalooza is comprised of traditional folk and spiritual songs such as, the aforementioned, “Down By The Riverside,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “Shortening Bread,” as well as more modern tunes like, Allen Toussaint’s, “Java,” and Duke Ellington’s, “Creole Love Song,” which retain a similar and folksy charm, as those songs which preceded them.

Frank Macchia consistently meets the challenge facing every jazz arranger by balancing the written elements of the music with improvisation.  There is no unnecessary embellishment, or grandstanding in the writing.  The background figures, even while they are busy, work well while accompanying and never overwhelming the soloists, each of whom sound both comfortable and inspired.  At times, Macchia demonstrates that he is not afraid of being simple, and allows the considerable improvisational talents of his musicians to shine through as a solo horn, or a single horn with the drummer.  This project was a labor of love that took many years to reach fruition, and perhaps the long process helped to weed out the non-essential elements of the repertoire, as well as details in the charts.

Saxolollapalooza also has a straightforward ballad reading of, “My One And Only Love,” as well as infectious interpretation of Michael Jackson’s hit tune, “Working Day And Night,” on which a vocal percussion introduction sets up a funky sound reminiscent of the Average White Band. During, “Working Day And Night,” Eric Marienthal unleashes a dynamic alto saxophone solo, playing over Peter Erskine’s flawless drumming. For his part Erskine is featured extensively and fills the role of an entire percussion section.

Eric Marienthal unleashes a dynamic alto saxophone solo over Peter Erskine’s flawless drumming.  Erskine is featured extensively and fills the role of an entire percussion section. “Working Day And Night,” exhibits the fun which is evident throughout this CD.

For “Caravan,” a masterpiece by Duke Ellington’s valve trombonist Juan Tizol, Macchia avoids taking the more obvious approach of pushing up the tempo for the Latin flavored misterioso, and instead stirs in a little molasses, creating a thick and sweet richness, more akin to some of the Duke’s classic ballads. Another example of Macchia’s penchant for innovation surfaces when Nat Adderly’s, “Work Song,” is performed in ¾ meter, with a very satisfying result. 

When considering saxophone showcases, the only group that comes to mind is Supersax, created to celebrate and harmonize the solos of Charlie Parker. Not to detract from Supersax, whose sound and achievement was miraculous, but Macchia’s group displays more variety, without utilizing a chordal instrument or a bass player.   The bass saxophonist Jay Mason and baritone saxophonist Gene Cipriano, at times, leave the listener with the impression of a string bass, and at other times, such as with the festive and free blowing which occurs on, “That’s A Plenty,” reflect the sound of a tuba or bass trombone.

Frank Macchia’s experiments on Saxolollapalooza are a major success and a pure delight.