After 13 years and two critically acclaimed albums, The Pete
McGuinness Jazz Orchestra has begun to feel like a well-oiled machine -
especially considering the fact that its component parts are some of the most
skilled musicians on the New York City jazz, studio and Broadway scenes. So
it's understandable that McGuinness chose Along For the Ride as the title for
his big band's dazzling third release; at this point, Pete clearly feels that
he can set his music in front of them and let them go. But one listen to the
album's intricate, expressive arrangements and compelling original
compositions, not to mention the leader's own virtuosic trombone soloing and
stirring vocal turns, leaves no doubt who's behind the wheel.
For Along For the Ride (due out June 7, 2019 on Summit
Records), McGuinness has crafted his most diverse and stunning line-up of big
band charts to date. The repertoire ranges from familiar standards by George
Gershwin and Michel Legrand to an impressively varied slate of original pieces
that reach back to classic big band swing and reach forward into modern
programmatic concepts. Throughout, the constantly surprising set list reveals
McGuinness as one of the most versatile and creative bandleaders in
contemporary jazz today.
"Along for the Ride" is more about the band than
it is about me," McGuinness insists modestly. "At this point, I know
the band, the players, and their abilities so well that I'm confident when I
write something challenging that they'll execute it brilliantly. I trust them
totally, and the studio experience was incredibly fun because once I stomped
off a chart I could just enjoy how amazingly the band executed my music."
The formation of the Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra was the
culmination of a life-long dream for the bandleader. He fell in love with the
classic swing band sound as a kid, delving into the record collection of his
father, who had been a radio DJ in the early 1950s. "It became my absolute
passion," McGuinness recalls. "When I was young I basically wanted to
be Duke Ellington when I grew up. I realize those were big shoes to fill for a
13 year old, but it's what I was striving for."
McGuinness got his first real taste of the power of playing
with a large ensemble as a trombonist. He made his New York City/Blue Note club
debut with the Buddy Rich Orchestra (directed by Steve Marcus). He also worked
with the Woody Herman Big Band after that leader's passing, though he was able
to play with the Lionel Hampton and Jimmy Heath bands under the batons of those
jazz giants. More recently he spent a decade guesting occasionally with the
Maria Schneider Orchestra, the leading modern purveyor of the big band
tradition.
McGuinness' history-spanning love of the big band sound
places him directly in the center of that timeline, combining the vigorous,
full-blooded swing of the classic era with the vibrant color palette and
narrative sweep of the more contemporary approach, which he studied with one of
its innovators, Bob Brookmeyer. "A lot of arranger/composers stay within a
very narrow confine," McGuinness explains. "I'm not such a purist; I
like a little more variety. Bob Brookmeyer encouraged me to take chances, but
by the same token I often find I have one foot in the past. Along For the Ride
is a mosaic of my entire musical sentiment."
The two worlds collide in a sense on the album's opener, a
cleverly deconstructed rendition of "Put on a Happy Face," the (some
might say excessively) cheery earwig from Bye Bye Birdie. McGuinness completely
reinvents the tune, putting a surprising and sophisticated twist on a song
that, in its original form, might come off as corny. "Sometimes a tune sticks
in your ear for reasons that are personal," McGuinness says. "It's
the kind of tune that Chet Baker or Gerry Mulligan or Sonny Rollins would have
recorded; they all did these cutesy songs that nobody would touch and put their
personal stamp on them, and I love that."
McGuinness steps to the microphone for the first time on
"You Must Believe In Spring," a romantic masterpiece in tribute to
the recently deceased composer, Michel Legrand. He also showcases his Chet
Baker-inspired vocal prowess on the lovely ballad "May I Come In,"
which also features an emotional trombone solo. His virtuosity is on
jaw-dropping display on the blistering original samba "Point of
Departure," on which the leader duels with the similarly fire-breathing
tenor saxophonist Rob Middleton and trumpeter Bill Mobley.
Another McGuinness original, the breathtaking "Old
Roads," looks wistfully back at the composer's childhood neighborhood in
West Hartford, Connecticut, with heart wrenching piano courtesy Mike Holober.
"Aftermath" is also profoundly personal, a multi-movement suite
inspired by the death of a college friend that cycles through the stages of
grief. On this recording, the piece becomes almost a concerto featuring the
emotional soprano sax of Dave Pietro, a longtime member of the Maria Schneider
Orchestra, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, and Darcy James Argue's Secret
Society.
Originally commissioned by the Westchester Jazz Orchestra,
McGuinness' take on Nat Adderley's "Jive Samba" is athletically
funky, an infectiously joyous romp featuring spirited solos by trombonist Matt
Haviland and baritone saxophonist Dave Reikenberg. Finally, "One For the
Maestro" reaches deep into the Count Basie bag to pay homage to
McGuinness' high school band director, the late Bill Stanley. The most traditional
piece on the album, the song deliberately evokes Sammy Nestico's classic
arrangements for Basie's New Testament band. "Bill Stanley changed my
life," McGuinness says. "They should build him a statue. He turned me
on to the tradition of cats like Basie and Thad Jones - the best writing, the
best bands - and that changed my trajectory in life dramatically."
That trajectory has now brought McGuinness to Along For the
Ride, a journey along which he very rarely rode shotgun. It's only felt this
easy since he so astutely assembled one of the best bands in modern jazz.
"The beauty and excitement of the big band is that you
have the potential for power and color and nuance that you don't quite get from
small group jazz," he says. "I write for a wide array of people: the
seasoned modern jazz listener, someone who enjoys music of the swing era, and
everyone in between."
Originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, Pete McGuinness
has been an active New York City-based jazz musician since 1987. His creativity
is expressed in many capacities: in-demand jazz trombonist, GRAMMY-nominated
composer/arranger, award-winning jazz vocalist, and longtime jazz educator. His
credits as a trombonist over the years are many, including performances with
such artists as Maria Schneider, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Heath, The Woody Herman
Orchestra, Mike Holober's Gotham Jazz Orchestra, and Bill Mobley's Smoke Big
Band. McGuinness appears as a sideman on over 50 jazz CDs, including the
GRAMMY-winning CD by Maria Schneider, Concert In The Garden. He has also
performed in the pits of many Broadway shows throughout the years. As a
composer-arranger, he writes for his own big band, The Pete McGuinness Jazz
Orchestra, which has been nominated for three GRAMMY Awards. McGuinness is
currently an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies/Arranging at William Paterson
University.
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