| Jazz |
If you are a lover of high-caliber traditional jazz, this album is precisely what you’ve been looking for. Every hallmark of the genre is honored here—nothing excessive, nothing out of place—yet the arrangements are so masterfully crafted that one is irresistibly drawn in, track by track, until the very end. If you have not yet been introduced to this remarkable guitarist and composer, allow me to share an excerpt from his biography:
Brent Laidler attended Western Michigan University, where he majored in Music Education with a minor in Composition. Additionally, he studied at the Red Wing Technical Institute, specializing in wind instrument repair. He is the owner and manager of Brent’s Bench, Inc., a Lafayette-based wind instrument repair shop that, over three decades of dedicated service, has earned a prestigious clientele that includes professional musicians and university faculty. His endorsements span Purdue Bands, the Jacobs School of Music, DePauw, Butler, and Ball State Universities, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, as well as three DCI drum and bugle corps and the International Trumpet Guild.
Regarding the concept behind this album, Brent Laidler explains:
“During the lockdown, I began a habit of sight-reading from the many old fake books I had accumulated, along with over 14,000 songs stored on my tablet. I stumbled upon beautifully crafted harmonic progressions that captivated me deeply but, to my knowledge, had never been included in a modern Real Book. It felt as though I were uncovering genuine ‘hidden treasures.’
Some of these progressions were even written by well-known jazz artists but, for one reason or another, had never made it into the standard jazz repertoire. The sheer quality of these compositions is a testament to their creators’ immense talent.
My latest project comprises pieces inspired by these progressions—reimagined, rearranged, or sometimes fused with others. One of these is based on a simple riff that everyone recognizes, yet I haven’t seen it used in a substantial piece since a television show in the early 1960s. By adding my own original melodies, I hope to have created entirely new songs while preserving the beauty and richness of the original compositions.”
It is perhaps this sense of finding oneself on familiar ground, paired with exceptional artistry, that makes the album so compelling. The interplay of masterful musicianship, featuring dreamy solos and vibrant phrases, is brought to life by a stellar ensemble: Mark Buselli (trumpet, flugelhorn), Ned Boyd (alto sax, flute), Brent Laidler (guitar), Jamie Newman (organ), Scott Pazera (bass), and Richard “Sleepy” Floyd (drums).
This is the kind of album that, during festive times such as these, can free your mind while simply making you happy to hear good music—a gift not to be underestimated.
For this reason, we gladly award this album four stars, confident that, like us, you will derive immense pleasure from listening to it.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, December 31st 2024
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Tracklisting:
1. Haba Verde 05:58
2. #5 Shomeda Way 05:05
3. Gemani (Gem-a-nee) 05:16
4. Ballad for B 06:21
5. Riffy Business 07:35
6. Somewhere in Central Park 04:49
7. Evening Song 06:53
8. Bop Like 06:17
9. Petite Parasol 05:06
10. Without a Tres 06:24