Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Brooke Sofferman featuring Jerry Bergonzi: The Green Between

152

Brooke Sofferman featuring Jerry Bergonzi: The Green Between

By

Sign in to view read count
Brooke Sofferman featuring Jerry Bergonzi: The Green Between
Brooke Sofferman second album as a leader, and first for the Arizona-based Summit record label, deals strictly with the compositions of the drummer/leader. Showing significant compositional awareness, the tunes cut a wide swathe of rhythmic and harmonic invention, including reggae, blues, swing and ballad. The latter musical species is well represented by a lovely, pensive "Sunbird". The contributions to this session by Sofferman's playmates, especially tenor sax man Jerry Bergonzi and Phil Grenadier's trumpet, are well documented on this track. Both in solo state and in interaction with each other, this duo casts a wide net of musicality with this piece which well could be the musical theme for a film noire. The artistry of singer Abby Aronson, who appears on two tracks, and guitarist Norm Zocher, is brought to bear on another ballad with somewhat more tension, "So It Began". This track also features compelling call and response between Aronson's wordless vocalizing and Bergonzi's tenor, creating a tingling of the spine effect. The title tune, "The Green Between" is a swinging reggae highlighted by swirling ensemble playing driven by Sofferman's drums. Bergonzi forsakes the warm tone employed on the ballads for a crisp, biting attack on this cut. The rather strangely named "Phlegm & Yawn" opens, as so many of these contemporary tunes do, with the players sounding as if they're warming up, before kicking into an up tempo romp with creative modern jazz overtones. There's good interaction between Zocher and the piano of Jacques Chanier before Bergonzi leads everyone into the land of dissonance.

Irrespective of what's coming out of the speakers at any given point on this CD, it's clear that Sofferman is dedicated to the principle that the melody's the thing, maintaining this philosophical position throughout the 72 minute session. It's all fine stuff and recommended. Visit Brooke at www.brookesofferman.com.

Track Listing

The Green Between; Mt. Desert Isle; Sunbird; Cement Truck Blues; Phlegm & Yawn; Zoe Moon*; Crownestula; Across the Crebix; Cut It Back to Half, Jack; So It Began*; Barefoot

Personnel

Brooke Sofferman - Leader/Drums/Percussion; Jerry Bergonzi - Tenor Saxophone; Phil Grenadier - Trumpet; Norm Zocher - Guitar; Jacques Chanier - Piano; Thompson Kneeland - Bass; Abby Aronson - Vocal*

Album information

Title: The Green Between | Year Released: 2002

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.