Search - Ray Anderson :: Ray Anderson's Pocket Brass Band

At the century's close, Ray Anderson is one of the 10 best trombonists making jazz albums. Each of his group conceptions--from BassDrumBone (with Mark Helias and Gerry Hemingway) to the Alligatory Band, his big band, the Lapis Lazuli band, and many more--highlights his immeasurable musicality and an often-humorous, thrill-seeking take on multiple jazz traditions all at once. The Pocket Brass Band is, then, one in a long line of great Ray Anderson bands. Here, Anderson has chosen a brass and drums lineup that boasts high-flying trumpeter Lew Soloff, tuba player Matt Perrine, and the hard-hitting Bobby Previte on drums. They take on a mix of Anderson's writing, Monk's splashing rave-up "I Mean You," and Scott Joplin's "Pineapple Rag." The lattermost tune is a particularly inspired take: with stops and starts, tempo changes, and fat-brass solos to match, it shows Anderson's stripes in sputtering, fast-blown, intense rushes without taking leave of Joplin's world. Stay tuned for a minute of silence after the "Pineapple Rag" ends, and you'll get yet another blast, perfect for the marching-brass fan in you, to close the whole session. --Andrew Bartlett