The JC Group Giveaway/Review - Trumpeter Christy Dana - Merry-Go-Round

Lois Gilbert · July-8th-2004, 05:27 AM

First of all thanks for the great participation on Ben Allison's Buzz both from people who bought or scored it thru us or by any other means necessary.

I'm very pleased to have you receive a copy of Bay area trumpeter Christy Dana's debut CD: Merry-Go-Round.

I believe our own Mike Schwartz interviewed Christy about a month ago. I met her for the first time and heard her play at the Jazzcorner Jams and she was smokin'!

Please visit her site (which is all flash- so I caution anyone on a dial-up) and listen to her jukebox. All her sound samples are contained on her jukebox. If you think it's your style, taste, etc. please email me at lois@jazzcorner.com with your screen name, real name and address.

Christy is sending out the CD herself so this is open only to U.S. folks, and hopefully some of you who haven't taken the plunge will participate.

Here are some early reviews:

"Trumpeter Christy Dana exudes instrumental mastery and refined compositional skill on her debut CD Merry-Go-Round. With a talented resident cast of Bevan Manson (piano), Peter Barshay (bass), Ted Moore (drums), and Mary Fettig (reeds), the UC Berkeley jazz professor showcases funky shuffle originals, steamy sambas, and honey-coated ballads."
Chuy Varela East Bay Express, (Critic's Choice)

"If you're looking for jazz that is firmly rooted in tradition, yet moves the art form into the future, then stop right here! Christy Dana can play and write with the best of them. She is a force to be reckoned with!" "Interesting, challenging, beautiful music you can listen to, move to, relax to and relate to...over and over again! And it only gets better with time."
Melanie Berzon, Program Director, KCSM Radio

"Dana...was influenced early on by Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, and Charlie Parker. She updates their shared sense of melodicism in her own playing." Larry Kelp East Bay Express

Mike Schwartz · July-8th-2004, 03:00 PM

Christy came to studio April 4th [90.5FM KSJS and www.ksjs.org]
I heard and met her for the first time at the session Lois mentioned above.

We joked, as it takes a trip all the way accross the country sometimes to meet a neighbor!

The CD might be of particular interest to SF Bay area jazz fans in particular since the talent are all local to this part of the world.

Lois Gilbert · July-8th-2004, 08:24 PM

I have seven left....

Ron Thorne · July-9th-2004, 01:52 AM

Based upon your recommendation (Lois), and that of my friends Chuy Varela and Melanie Berzon, I'd like to add this disc to my collection.

An e-mail is enroute.

Lois Gilbert · July-11th-2004, 08:21 PM

I have 6 left

Lois Gilbert · July-12th-2004, 01:21 PM

I have 4 left

Gary Delligatti · July-12th-2004, 09:16 PM

Sounds like a fantastic adventure...count me in please

Lois Gilbert · July-14th-2004, 04:47 AM

Gary I need an email from you with name and address to lois@jazzcorner.com

thanks

then I'll have 3 left

GoodSpeak · July-17th-2004, 09:43 PM

I sent you an e-mail...day before yesterday.

Deal's off, then?

sheesh.

Lois Gilbert · July-18th-2004, 01:53 AM

Scoring the cd are

Afro Blue
Berkeley, CA

Ron Thorne
Anchorage, Alaska

Jazzooo
Escondido, CA

Goodspeak
Visalia, CA

Gary Deligatti
Fairmont, WV

Scott Yanow
Burbank, CA

as you can see I have 4 left

Lois Gilbert · July-19th-2004, 06:17 PM

Randy Hersom
Morganton, NC

3 left

Jazzooo · August-10th-2004, 03:03 AM

Got mine, thanks--I'll try to listen this week.

Jazzooo · August-16th-2004, 10:22 PM

Well, I'm about three songs into this CD so far. It's good straight ahead jazz--nothing earth-shattering or stylistically original, but it's all nicely-played. Dana's trumpet tone is fine, and her ideas are right in the middle of what I'd expect a player of her level to come up with. If I was recording a straight-ahead project, and valued inside competence over outside experimentation, I'd hire her. I think hse played flugelhorn on one of the tracks, and I liked that tone better--but that's usually how I feel about trumpet versus flugel.

There is no question that I am a sexist bastard, though. I don't like or dislike music because it is made by a woman, but I hate the fact that I'm thinking about it at all. I hada hard time even hearing the sax player at first because I kept pondering my own reaction to such things. In fact, I literally had to rewind to hear the solo again! Nice solo, by the way.

The thyrhm section is competent and swinging, but when I flipped to the jazz station a few minutes later I heard some section that really sizzled and realized that the guys on this record were good enough to be pro but not particularly inspired. The piano player has moments of inspiration, but sometimes strikes me as having a hard time getting back on track after them.

Overall, admirable and enjoyable but not memorable so far.

Jazzooo · August-25th-2004, 10:26 PM

Gotta say, I'm enjoying tracks 7 till the end about twice as much as the first 6. I would have flopped the order around myself. More spirited compositions to be certain.

Lois Gilbert · August-31st-2004, 03:24 PM

Any other reviews coming. How about by Friday so we can move to the next cd giveaway. Thanks Lois

randyhersom · September-5th-2004, 11:04 PM

I always find albums like this heartening, knowing that people are continuing our musical traditions with a gread deal of love. There's not much extending of the tradition going on here, but this album grew on me quite a bit. It's very much a sixties mid-tempo Blue Note/Prestige/Muse vibe that is being mined here. More polite than Blakey, it's atmospheric rather than hard charging. The compositions are good and the players show both skills and promise. Best of luck to Christy and her band in their future endeavors.

Gary Delligatti · September-12th-2004, 09:03 AM

I enjoyed listening to this album. If Ms. Christy's intent was smooth, straight up stuff, nice, flowing, sequencial, then I think she did a nice job of it. I can imagine I would use this album in the background as a nice piece to play during a cocktail party. I felt hearing this piece, especially track 7, Southern Cross, that she felt a little restrained, I felt that she wanted to soar but had a rope holding her down. It might be interesting to her her chops during a jam session to see what her stuff is. Percussion was OK, again, very straight, almost at times sounding like a synthesizer was generating it. Would I have bought this album?, Probably not, but just because it doesn't suite MY listening style. If I liked "smooth as a baby's bottom", then I would be proud to have this in my collection.
Good luck to Ms. Christy and her future endevous. I would be interested to her her other stuff.

GaryD

Lois Gilbert · September-17th-2004, 03:41 AM

Goodspeak
Scott
Father Thorne where are your reviews?

Ron Thorne · September-19th-2004, 04:07 AM

I'm very sorry for being so slow to offer my feelings on this recording. Please accept the fact that I've been dealing with some extenuating circumstances, including a stolen car.

Thanks to Christy Dana and Lois Gilbert for the opportunity to hear this disc in this manner. Your generosity is appreciated.

Inasmuch as I still have a lot to deal with in the next few weeks, and want to provide some comments, I will offer a much more abbreviated, simplistic review than usual.

I enjoyed most of the tracks, though wasn't overly challenged or inspired by some of the charts or performances.

Straight-ahead definitely describes the mode, and it's pleasant enough, but, for the most part, it never really grabs me, frankly.

Good ensemble work and some intriguing solos here and there, but a bit safe and predictable, overall. I agree with Jazzooo that the last couple of tracks offer a bit more to "bite into".

Dug pianist Bevan Manson a lot!

SEJ · September-23rd-2004, 03:10 PM

Sorry, Lois, for being tardy with my impresssions of the recording. Once school started, I didn't have much time. I've listened a few times end to end, and I'm listening now as I'm putatively studying.

I agree with the previous posters that Merry-Go-Round is a nice straightahead disc, with a classic feel, both as far as the playing and compositionally. (The blue bops like Vertical Nystagmus sound like they're straight off an old Blue Note recording.) I don't think there were any weak links in the band, and like Ron I enjoyed Bevan Manson in particular. A lot of you people may be spoiled, but let me tell you: I'd be thrilled to have music of this quality played regularly in my town.

Previous posters also pointed out, on the flip side, that there's not a whole lot of stretching or tightrope walking on the disc: it feels smooth, comfortable. While there may be some truth to that, I don't think the disc sounds downright stiff. I do think jazzoo was right in questioning the sequencing of the disc (though I wonder about Darn That Dream as a "spirited composition"). The disc ends on an excellent impression with PB&C, where Manson rocks the boat a little.

Overall, I think Merry-Go-Round is an auspicious start, eminently enjoyable as-is.