Fred Ho and The Green Monster Big Band
Celestial Green Monster
Mutable Music Records
www.mutablemusic.com
By George W. Harris

Baritonist/band leader Fred Ho is going to get your attention one way
or another. On the cover of this wild and wooly big band recording, Ho
looks like a combination of the Jolly Green Giant, The Incredible Hulk,
and about 5 different Star Trek characters. Wearing nothing but his
baritone, Ho shows everything except shame. The same can be said for
the music. I mean, did you ever think in your wildest dreams that you’d
ever hear a jazz version of Iron Butterfly’s rock anthem
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”? There are few things I ever bet on, but that
would have been one of them. It’s in your face, eerie, and comparable
to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The 38 minute “Struggle for a New World
Suite” is a bit more orthodox, with some intense sax sections and
pungent soloing by altoist Jim Hobbs and trombonists Earl
MacIntyre/Marty Wehner. The cleverly arranged “Spiderman Theme” and
“Blues to the Freedom Fighters” serve as tests for your speakers or
headphones, to be sure. Maybe if Stan Kenton were Asian, green……