CD Review: “Live: An Evening With The Mel Brown Quartet”

What The Critics Say:

MEL BROWN QUARTET:
Tony Pacini-piano, Dan Balmer-guitar,
Ed Bennett-bass, Mel Brown-drums.

LIVE: AN EVENING WITH THE MEL BROWN QUARTET
By KYLE O’BRIAN OCTOBER, 2006
Jazz Society of Oregon

This group just keeps getting tighter and tighter. After a sizzling opening set at the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, it’s only a matter of time before they’re in demand in New York and beyond. Brown’s buoyant rhythms propel this energetic and well planned live disc which was thoughtfully recorded with an audience in the studio at Kung Fu Bakery. The result captures the same intimate immediacy as they have at Jimmy Mak’s every week, but with better recording capabilities, so we get to hear the tick of Mel’s high hat, the intricate picking by bassist Ed Bennett, the chordal punch of Tony Pacini’s piano, and the fluid, melodic guitar lines by Dan Balmer all with studio crispness. It starts with the heavy swing of Pacini’s “Dandyish” and goes on a journey through the band’s favorites, including the rapid-fire arrangement of “Prelude to a Kiss,” and other originals by Balmer, Bennett and Pacini, including the freewheeling “Ticondeep” by Bennett. It’s a fantastic album from a band deserving much wider recognition.

LIVE: AN EVENING WITH THE MEL BROWN QUARTET
By DICK BOGLE AUGUST, 2006
The Skanner

“The Mel Brown Quartet” – with pianist Tony Pacini, guitarist Dan Balmer, bassist Ed Bennett and Brown on drums – has become a Wednesday night mainstay at Jimmy Mak’s in the Pearl District. This CD will explain the band’s continuing popularity over the long haul. It opens with the Pacini composition, “Dandyish,” a sprightly piece with an easy-to-remember theme. Duke Ellington’s “Prelude to a Kiss” gets an unfamiliar rapid-fire treatment from both Pacini and Balmer, which the live audience loved, interrupting with cheers and applause.

Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite” is beneficiary of Pacini’s piano with a nice share of block chords and his usual sparkling right hand. Ed Bennett contributes a melodic bass solo, followed by the swinging Balmer. It’s great to see and hear Balmer’s straight-ahead chops.

Balmer shows the band’s appreciation of club owner Jimmy Mak with his tune, “One for Jimmy Mak.” Brown leads off with a very brief drum roll, and then it’s an off-and-running.

There is no weak link in either the band or the recording. It is solid through all 10 cuts, some of which include “Smile,” “Gone With the Wind,” “Ticondeep,” “May Song” and more.”

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Classic Pianos and Saphu Records

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K.M.H.D. 89.1 fm – Jazz Radio

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CD Review: Ed Bennett “Blues For Hamp”

About The Artist:

ED BENNETT:
By PAUL B MATTHEWS
Cadence Magazine

Bennett is active on the Portland and Pacific Northwest jazz scene. As The leader and producer of this album, his second, he’s inspired some “active” playing from his trio to fortify their program of lively, straight ahead jazz. Bennett and Glenn provide just over half the compositions. The pianist pays homage in his to some favorite colleagues and predecessors. The brisk title tune honors Hampton Hawes for example, and “Libation”, Bud Powell. Hold that thought for a moment. Now think of those crispy played notes and that lightly knit playing style that was a hallmark of the first-generation beboppers and you’ll have a good sense of this trio’s style. Bennett’s playing and how he works his bass into the arrangements consistently evoked in my ears, thoughts of Pettiford and Potter. Berk supplies some very tasty brush work and Glenn plays with the same relaxed confidence that Powell possessed. Having said this, I should hasten to add that this is not a bebop album. Bennett contributes a 10 bar ballad and a Brazilian tempoed original. One of his showcase numbers is “The Red Door” which may be more familiar to you under the name “Zoot Walked In” (in honor of the saxophonist’s having adopted it as his signature tune). The operative word is “walked” and after listening to Bennett take the lead on it here, you may wonder why some enterprising bassist hasn’t snatched it up for his theme. One of the pleasures of being a reviewer for Cadence is coming across a sleeper like this release. An independently produced album by a group you and I may not otherwise get to hear that’s unpretentious but well thought out, beautifully played…and recommended.

Feb. 23, 2009 | Reviews | Comments Off

CD Review: Ed Bennett “In Season”

About The Artist:

ED BENNETT:
Since his move to Portland several years ago, Ed Bennett has established himself as one of the area’s premier bass players. In Season is his second CD and it provides a wide ranging look at Bennett’s music. The twelve selections are evenly divided between trio and quintet performances with Paul Mazzio,trumpet and flugelhorn and Lee Wuthenow, tenor added to the trio of Bennett, Steve Christofferson, piano and Ron Steen, drums. Seven of the tunes are originals and I liked the loose, loping, lyrical, West Coast feeling on The Path and Solution of Resolution. Bennett displays a leaning for the Latin rhythms on Samba de Ed and Bindu and solos with style on Noel Coward’s Mad About The Boy. I was impressed with the inclusion of two infrequently heard tunes from jazzdom’s hallowed history: Bennie Harris’ Crazeology and the even more rare Dancing Sunbeam by Lucky Thompson. Mazzio, Wuthenow and Christofferson are pearls of musicianship and Steen lends his usual solid presence. Bennett’s writing and playing are at the very heart of jazz: swinging lines with room to improvise and always, the joy of making good music. Even though it’s only February, I can safely say that this will be one of my highly recommended local recordings of 1995.

By JACK ALDRICH JUNE, 1995
Victory Review

Big label A&R folks should have feeding frenzies for jazzlike rock so superb NW musicians like Portland bassist Bennett will not get lost. This fine collection features Ed’s own compositions and standards presented in the best of the neo-classic style – a blend of West Coast jazz, and bop, but with modern modal lines and harmonic structure. Bennett has played for diverse artists from Witherspoon to McRae and the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabaken Big Band. He assembled competent NW musicians: Paul Mazzio-trumpet and flugelhorn, Lee Withenow-tenor, Steve Christofferson-piano, and Ron Steen-drums. I can’t say enough about the arrangements and choice of music. I’ve known about but haven’t heard Lucky Thompson’s “Dancing Sunbeam” before. Noel Coward’s “Mad About the Boy” is given a droll reading featuring Bennett’s bass. “Samba de Ed” and “Bindu” are nice Brazilian influences. “In Season” has a great set of changes as it moves through several keys. Other titles are indicative of what’s going on in the head: “Blues Over” extends beyond the blues; “The Path” has a line that moves us along through the changes; and “Eyes of Ibad” goes beyond bop. This is so good I have asked for lead sheets! I hope this is circulated back East.

By SANDRA BURLINGAME
5/4 Magazine

Bassist Ed Bennett caught my ears almost 20 years ago as a member of Carmen McRae’s trio in a televised concert with Clark Terry’s big band plus strings. Bennett’s playing stood out in a gorgeous duo with McRae on an Ellington medley. He’s been based in Portland for the past five years and just released his second CD on Saphu. In Season has him wearing several hats as producer, recording engineer and main composer. He features Rose City artists in trio and quintet settings covering a dozen compositions, seven of them Bennett’s. It took me a while to warm up to the CD– perhaps it was the order of the selections or the occasional monotony of Ron Steen’s drumming–but I was won over. Quintet and trio divvy up the tunes. The horns of Paul Mazzio (trumpet,flugelhorn) and Lee Wuthenow (tenor sax) are well-matched, especially so when they open in the unison style of classic “50s” quintets. Mazzio plays with great warmth and an assurance that belies the difficulty of his solos. Wuthenow, too, is a melodic player whose ease lends an appropriately sultry touch to Bennett’s “Samba de Ed.” The quintet dispatches Miles Davis’ “Serpents Tooth” with cool, sophisticated swing of the master himself. Pianist Steve Christofferson’s linear style and firm yet light touch provide the perfect counterpart for Bennett, whose fluid approach retains the individuality of his rapidly plucked notes. Bennett favors the bass’ rich lower register which Steve echoes with his bass lines on Lucky Thompson’s “Dancing Sunbeam.” In a trio version of “Mad About the Boy” Bennett bows the melody and then an improvisation on it with smooth clarity, while Christofferson snakes around the bass lines. “Time,” a composition by Richard Powell that is completely new to me and a highlight of the CD, is a haunting ballad dramatized by fascinating voicings from bass and piano and subtle shadings from Steen. You’ll be rewarded by a careful listen to In Season.

Feb. 23, 2009 | Reviews | Comments Off