Steve Smith & Buddy's Buddies

Very Alive at Ronnie Scott's - London

Steve Smith, drums; Steve Marcus, tenor, soprano saxes; Andy Fusco, alto sax; Mark Soskin, piano; Baron Browne, bass guitar

Recorded in England June 2002

SET ONE: Love For Sale; Nutville; Big Man Blues; Bopformation; How Do You Keep The Music Playing; The Pies Of A.Z.; Manfredo's Fest; Ya Gotta Try: Bonus Tracks : Moments Notice; Airegin;

(Tone Center TC 40272)

SET TWO: Moments Notice; Norwegian Wood; New Blues; Airegin; Embraceable You; Cool; No Jive; Bonus Tracks: Love For Sale; Big Man Blues; Bopformation:

(Tone Center TC 40273)

 

Anyone familiar with the Buddy Rich Band's arrangements will recognize the tunes that have been chosen here to honour the memory of the great drummer.

Both Steve Marcus and Andy Fusco play their hearts out in these scaled down charts. Steve Smith has considerable solo space, and although he cannot outshine Buddy, he really does a creditable job within his own style. Pianist Mark Soskin, formerly with Sonny Rollins, shows his exceptional talent on each track and Baron Browne drives the quintet relentlessly.

These players obviously feel passionately about the contribution that Buddy brought to the art of Jazz, and with these recordings they have done him proud. Exciting stuff.

by Al Merritt


New Sounds - September 2004

Jazz Now Interactive September 2004 Vol 14 No. 5 - Table of Contents

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