Tenor Pete Christlieb complements Luening on "Tangerine, pianist Tom Ranier on "Veronique, Luening and bassist Trey Henry on the bustling "Time Stream. Guido Basso's warm flugelhorn garnishes "Satin 'n' Glass while Tom Scott is showcased on EWI on "Dark Orchid and "Orient Express, tenor sax (with guitarist Dean Parks) on "A Cool Breeze.
Dick Nash's elegant trombone is front and center on the tender "Katy, written for Basie's wife, who had recently passed away. "Freckle Face, which spotlights trumpeter Luening, is from the Basie book, as are "Warm Breeze, "Time Stream, "Satin 'n' Glass and "Basie Street. That session also produced the lovely "Lisette, on which soprano Dan Higgins glistens. There are no strings (or vocalists), and I found this earlier version the more agreeable because of it. There's a second version of "Dark Orchid (which opens the album), this one recorded in 2000 under its alternate name, "Out of the Night, and featuring solos by flutist Hubert Laws, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and pianist Randy Kerber. The personnel on that track, by the way, is mind-blowingWarren Luening, Conte Candoli, and Snooky Young in the trumpet section Bob Cooper, Bud Shank, and Jack Nimitz among the reeds Bill Watrous on trombone and Jolly, Chuck Berghofer and Louie Bellson in the rhythm section.
For proof, listen to "Freckle Face, "Time Stream, or "Kiji Takes a Ride! (no strings), "A Warm Breeze (recorded in '04 with Germany's superb SWR Big Band), "Satin 'n' Glass (transcribed in 1985 with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass minus Rob), or the album's "bonus track, the groovy "88 Basie Street, gleaned from the '78 album Dark Orchid to showcase the late Pete Jolly on piano. On the other hand, the strings do little to enhance the environment, and (my opinion, judge for yourself) Sammy's purpose would have been better served without them (and with a tad less reverb as well). Ten of the fifteen selections on Portrait were recorded last year with an orchestra comprised of world-class jazz musicians from southern California bolstered by a 26-piece string section, creating an ambiance reminiscent of the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra.Įven with strings attached, Nestico seldom forgets to swing, nor did he do so in winning four Grammy Awards for the incomparable Count Basie Orchestra while serving as the Count's chief arranger some three decades ago. And why not? Sammy has been at the top of his game for nearly half a century, and he shows no signs of slowing down at age 81. Album DescriptionThe Portrait of Sammy shown on the cover of renowned composer/arranger Sammy Nestico's newest album shows a man grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying what he does and relishing the fruits of his enduring success. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo More info Sammie does well this time out, and he'll probably do better next time around. Judged on that basis, it's charming and, at times, impressive. Still, we have to remember that this is a debut album from a child singer. Either way, the end result is the same: From the Bottom to the Top is entertaining, but not always engaging. Perhaps that's due to the songwriting, which gets a little undistinguished as the tempo slows, or perhaps it's due to the fact that while Sammie is an impressive talent, he has yet to mature. "Tricky" Stewart, is proof that he can - but he sounds his most infectious when the beat is a little faster and the hooks are a little sharper.
That's not to say that other producers and writers come up empty or that Sammie can't handle slower songs - the midtempo soul of "Crazy Things I Do," produced and written by C. By and large, those are the songs written and produced by executive producer Dallas Austin, who keeps the beats fresh and light and the hooks strong and catchy - particularly on uptempo numbers like the opener "The Bottom" and "Can't Let Go," featuring Lloyd of N'Toon. If he's not yet skillful enough to disguise the sometimes uneven material, that's still forgivable, because the tracks that do work, work really well. At times, his voice does sound a little thin, but for the most part, it's surprisingly soulful and convincing - not as stunning and assured as the young Michael Jackson, but certainly a lot better than most child singers. He's also a kid, not that you'd really be able to tell that from a cursory listen of his debut album, From the Bottom to the Top. There's no mistaking little Sammie for Sammy, the post-Pavement indie-rock combo of the mid-'90s.
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