Pianist/trombonist
Kevin Cline usually keeps a low profile, so much so that even his neighbors on
Chicago’s northwest side probably don’t realize the depth of his talent. He’s
been a strong, if understated, presence in a myriad of bands for more than 30
years, but is just now releasing his debut. This disc, Make Up Your Mind,
promises that Cline won’t be a secret for much longer.
Being
such a humble guy has its advantages. Rather than spending time hyping himself,
Cline focuses on his writing, and the results are his 14 original compositions
on this disc. While the buoyant tone throughout Make Up Your Mind is anything
but workmanlike, Cline’s patience and determination are what made this disc
happen.
Cline’s
life in music reflects that perseverance. He started playing organ as a child,
picked up the trombone a few years later added piano to the mix. Playing in
high school ensembles made him focus on trombone, primarily when Cline joined
Rich Daniel’s Big Band Machine. Along with Daniels, Cline attended DePaul
University in the early ’80s and graduated with a degree in music theory. More
work followed— ranging from the Glenn Miller Orchestra to the backing band for
popular Chicago radio d.j. Jonathan Brandmeier, Johnny and the Leisure Suits.
But he wanted to express his own self, which meant the piano playing a more
vital role.
As Cline
started to dig deeper, he studied with Chicago jazz pianist Peter Polzak during
the late ’90s. Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett records became a bigger part of his
musical diet. He built up his sense of harmony and theory and turned those
ideas into his compositions, including this disc’s title piece. The end results
pack Make Up Your Mind.
“I tend
to hear bass lines and/or chord changes first and melody comes after that,”
Cline said. “I then play the changes over and over as I sing melodies in my
head until I find the melody that works best. I’m meticulous about chord
changes in my writing. Often when the melody repeats, I like to throw in an
alternate chord change or two, just to keep it interesting.”
This
strategy is heard in “Make Up Your Mind,” with its shifts from minor to major
keys. Cline’s technique is also a part of the opener, “After The Rain,” where
Cline doubles on piano and Fender Rhodes.
“None of
my tunes are named until I’ve written them,” Cline said. “I named it ‘After The
Rain’ because as the ending approaches, the tonality changes quickly. It’s
basically in the key of C major at that point and takes a turn to end in
B-major. That sound reminded me of the sun or a rainbow appearing after a
storm.”
But
Cline turned to a different early inspiration for “Umbrella, Sunglasses &
Gloves”: the horn bands of jazz-inspired 1970s rock, primarily Earth, Wind and
Fire and Chicago. The sunny tone and Paul Zimmerman’s vocals here (and on “You
Tend To”) echo the time when, as a teenager, Cline played his trombone along
with Chicago records.
Other
key sources include the musicians who Cline brings on to the recording, such as
guitarist Dale Prasco who joins in on the Latin-tinged “Beware The Snake” and
in a duo with Gailloreto on “April In June.”
Trumpeter
Victor Garcia also mixes it up with Gailloreto (on tenor) on “A Shot Of
J&V” and the quasi-bossa nova, “Shirley Not Forgotten.” Cline also built
“Neighborhood Trolley” from its origins as a piano ostinato while he observed
how the horns interacted. Another guest trumpeter, Bobby Shew, shines on the
brass- heavy-but-breezy “Happy-Go-Lucky” and while he’s name checked on the
title of “Song For Bobby,” that song also echoes another of Cline’s heroes,
Bill Evans.
“That
song combines Bill Evans-like chord changes played in a George Shearing style,”
Cline said. “It’s in the key of E-flat, going to minor ii-V to relative minor
C. Bill Evans did that often and was very unique in his use of minor ii-V chord
progressions."
Most of
the disc conveys an optimistic vibe, with “Santorini By Motorbike” a reflection
of Cline’s visit to Greece and “Mistletoe, Me & You” a romantic
Christmas-time song that he wrote for his girlfriend. But even within this
upbeat sentiment, Make Up Your Mind offers an array of textures. The disc’s
sole cover—an interpretation of “My Funny Valentine” that serves as a showcase
for vocalist Isha Marie Lewis—Cline layers on the horns for a funk vibe with
extra harmony. The disc closes with “Till Next Time,” a not-too-somber sparse
ballad with just Gailloreto and Cline giving each other just the right amount
of space.
No
question that Make Up Your Mind is an opening statement, not a point of
departure. Cline is already planning his next project, a pop/R&B disc that
will show that will show an entirely different side of his musical personality.
This man is in it for the long haul.
~ Aaron Cohen (Senior contributor to DownBeat)
