Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra
Mezzanine
Owl Studios Records
www.OwlStudios.com
By George W. Harris

The BWJO has put out a few very impressive releases the past couple of years, and this one just might be the best. My only disappointment is that the Indiana-based leaders didn’t include any vocals by the molasses thick Everette Greene, but that’s a minor quibble. The songs here are cleverly put together, with some wondrous harmonies provided by the various horn sections, and never get too cerebral. Frank Glover puts in some lovely clarinet and tenor work on “Tabelloe Ex Terra” and “Sketch For Boz” respectively. There are some intriguing re-arrangements of a few swing era classics, with Buselli sounding superb on the Gil Evans-inspired “Stompin’ At The Savoy” and “Cherokee,” while Wallarab opens up with a pair of tens on Freddie Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower.” A mix of the past, but pointing authoritatively and confidently into the future.