10 Aug
Reconstituted by Bobby Vince Paunetto and the Commit to Memory Band
- Written by John Doll
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Bobby Vince Paunetto & The Commit to Memory Band looks great on paper. The titles of the pieces are intriguing: ‘Jazz for the Silent Majority,’ ‘Dirt Cheap Meets Dirt,’ ‘Silva! Horn! & Down Pat!.’ There is even a salute for a fallen family member: "My Brother The Great!’ There is an expectation of music laced with humor and bravado. It may or may not be polished, but there is an anticipation of something heart-felt and idiosyncratic. But, on their album, "Reconstituted," the titles sound better than the melodies. The music is pleasant sounding, but not striking. In fact, it feels like music you’ve heard before; it is so indistinct it’s generic. Individual pieces sound relatively alike. ‘Silva! Horn! & Down Pat’ is an upbeat introduction. It features Tom Harrell on fluegelhorn and the band produces a sunny and cohesive prelude. I had great hopes for ‘Jazz for the Silent Majority.’ It begins with a nice flute solo by Todd Anderson accompanied by gentle piano work by Bill O’Connell. It’s ‘nice’ and ‘gentle,’ and unassuming. Frightening enough, this could satisfyingly enough for people who want their music to be like unobtrusive wallpaper. ‘Dirt Cheap Meets Dirt’ sounds roughly the same. It was difficult to distinguish this from ‘Jazz for the Silent Majority.’ So much for being down and dirty. This is starch white shirt stuff. Mind wandering, I had visions of an underpaid, fawning WalMart employee trying to sell me something because, hey, it’s cheaper than downtown. ‘My Brother The Great!’ is better because of a mournful tenor sax solo by Todd Anderson and later a graceful soprano sax interlude by Glenn Drewes. The tribute seems however to be distracted by presence of an electric piano that just feels inappropriate. There are moments that the music is beautiful, but often times it slips into banality. The individual players are proficient, but the compositions and arrangements are undistinguished.
Additional Info
- Artist / Group Name: Bobby Vince Paunetto and the Commit to Memory Band
- CD Title: Reconstituted
- Genre: Straight-Ahead / Classic
- Year Released: 1999
- Record Label: RSVP Jazz Records
- Tracks: Silva! Horn! & Down Pat, Reconstituted, Foreign Glasses, Slovenly Hilled Curves, Dirt Cheap Meets Dirt, In the Harbor of Cadiz, Jazz for the Silent Majority, Turning of the Memories, Emotional Currency, The Contra Bean, Co-Hearsed, My Brother The Great!
- Musicians: Bobby Vince Paunetto (composer, arranger, conductor, producer), Todd Anderson (tenor saxophone & flute), Tom Harrell (fluegelhorn), Larry Farrell (trombone), Glenn Drewes (trumpet), Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone & bass clarinet), Billy Drewes (soprano & alto saxophone, flute & drums), Bill O’Connell (piano, Roland keys), Armen Donelian (piano, Roland keys), Mike Richmond (bass), John Riley (drums)
- Label Website: http://www.rsvpjazz.com
- Rating: Two Stars
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Straight-Ahead / Classic - CD Reviews
