Jack Walrath has been around the jazz scene for quite some time, working with Charles Mingus and various Latin bands, in addition to recording quite a few albums on his own. On this occasion he is joined by the versatile pianist Bill Mays (a terrific composer and bandleader in his own right), Mingus Big Band bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Jonathan Blake. The trumpeter has frequently displayed a sense of humor in his music and it is definitely on display during a portion of this 2007 session. How can a listener not get a kick out of songs like "Death Is Just Around the Corner Cha Cha Cha," a spirited, happy go lucky bop vehicle with just a tinge of Latin rhythm? "He Was Such a Nice Quiet Boy!" darts all over the place in an unpredictable manner, while his heartfelt, bittersweet ballad "An Hour Blessed" shows his serious side, with Mays' lush piano providing the perfect backdrop. He has a bit of fun with his sassy arrangement of Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel," playing down and dirty with a mute as Mays and the rhythm section saunter along with him. Few people will expect the Beatles'"Nowhere Man" to follow Walrath's dramatic introduction, which hints that something like "'Round Midnight" is on the way. The band also finds a new path into Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing")," which is played in furious fashion with a brilliant, rapid-fire muted trumpet solo reminiscent of Clark Terry. - Ken Dryden
An often exciting, thoughtful trumpeter and good arranger, Jack Walrath has steadily gained attention and exposure through his contributions to outstanding sessions. Walrath began playing trumpet at nine, and studied at Berklee in the mid- and late '60s while working with other students and backing up R&B vocalists.
He moved to the West Coast in 1969, and co-led the bands Change with Gary Peacock, and Revival with Glenn Ferris. Walrath also toured a year with Ray Charles. Walrath relocated to New York in the early 70s, and worked with Latin bands before playing with Charles Mingus from 1974 to 1979, an association that gave him a certain amount of recognition. Walrath contributed some arrangements and orchestrations to Mingus' final recordings.
In the 1980s and '90s, he led his own bands, toured Europe with Dannie Richmond and the British group Spirit Level, worked with Charlie Persip's Superband and Richard Abrams, and helped keep the music of Charles Mingus alive by playing with Mingus Dynasty. Jack Walrath has recorded as a leader for Gatemouth, Stash, SteepleChase, Red, Muse, Spotlite, Blue Note, and Mapleshade; he is still improving with age. - allaboutjazz.com
Tracks
01. Hold My Bag, Please! (Jack Walrath)
02. Bumpy (Jack Walrath)
03. (It's Not Easy) Bein' Green (Joe Raposo)
04. Nowhere Man (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
05. Death Is Just Around The Corner Cha Cha Cha (Jack Walrath)
06. Heartbreak Hotel (Elvis Presley/Mae Boren Axton/Tom Durden)
07. He Was Such A Nice Quiet Boy! (Jack Walrath)
08. An Hour Blessed (Jack Walrath)
09. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (Duke Ellington)
10. I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash)
11. Impure Inspiration (Jack Walrath)
JACK WALRATH trumpet
BILL MAY piano
JONATHAN BLAKE drums
BORIS KOZLOV bass
Recorded December 2007
SteepleChase – SCCD 31650 (Denmark)