Search - Dave Santoro :: Standards Band II

Immensely satisfying

Dr. Chuck Berg The Univ. of Kansas | Univ of Kansas | 08/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this exuberant follow-up to one of the great albums of 1999, Dave Santoro: Standards Band (Double-Time DTRCD-151), the all-star bassist is back with another compelling program of bracingly reconfigured classics that brings us something old, new, borrowed and blue. It's a combination that in the capable hands of Santoro's band offers energized performances of sound-of-surprise originality that help us reassess and re-appreciate the timeless qualities of indelible lines like "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To." At the same time, Santoro's quartet suggests the infinite interpretive possibilities lying within the contours of such classic fare as "All or Nothing at All," and therefore the potential of discovering the new within the fabric of the presumably already known. Significantly, "every tune was a first or second take, which in part is a tribute to Peter Kontrimas's studio. It was like playing in someone's living room. It felt like home. We had total trust in Peter's ears and engineering which made him like a fifth member of the band." In commenting on the song list, Dave notes that the opener, "This Love of Mine," is one of the few tunes for which Frank Sinatra wrote lyrics. "I remember hearing it on the Elvin Jones album, Dear John C. It's always been one of my favorite tunes." With Jerry's arioso tenoring, it's a poignant walking ballad whose haunting echoes keep resonating long after the track has faded. "What Is This Thing Called Love" exemplifies the foursome's harmonic daring. In fact, Jerry's reharmonization gives the timeless plaint a postmodern twist. Also, it's a great medium stroll where everything falls naturally, and unrushed, thus resisting the temptation to overheat. Dave confesses that "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" has always been a personal favorite. Here, with its breakneck tempo, Jerry romps with a Rollins-esque kind of rhythmic and melodic displacement which unfolds against a vivid rhythmic backdrop woven tightly by the simpatico interplay of Dave, Renato and Tom. One of the most intriguing tracks is the bassist-leader's reharmonized "Tenderly," which gives the venerable ballad a new purchase on life. "I was trying to create a Wayne Shorter-ish mood, which I knew Jerry would sound great on." Again, Dave is right. There's also a wonderful example of the leader's own heartfelt and thoughtful soloing as well a sample of Renato's sparkling pianistics. "The Song of You" is a relatively straightahead version of the Jerome Kern standard taken at a jet propelled tempo that soars into a dazzling coda that as it fades, leaves Jerry's arabesques glowing iridescently against the setting harmonic sun. Dave attributes his attraction to "All or Nothing at All" to the tune's unusual structure"