Search - Lennie Niehaus :: Lennie Niehaus, Vol. 5: The Sextet

Keeping It Fresh and Unpredictable

Tom Schusterbauer | West Bloomfield, Michigan United States | 12/11/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"O.K., I admit it, these are some of those old boys, those West Coast guys from the 1950s. But hold it, this isn't the laid back, lightweight stuff that the great West Coast players and arrangers got accused of creating.
Think of this as one part big band, one part chamber jazz, and one part blowing session. You've got a solid rhythm system anchored by the masterful Shelly Manne, but this cd also features reeds and brass from the likes of the sadly unappreciated Jimmy Giuffre and Bill Perkins. Mostly standards, yes, but Bill Holman, one of jazz's truly great and influential arrangers, transforms the old and dusty to something unpredictable and surprising. Holman still lives, having recently cut a big band tribute to, of all people, Monk. And the same risk-taking that Holman thrives on in the Monk tribute is evident in this almost-fifty-year-old set. Niehaus, of course, is no slouch as an arranger. So, between him and Holman, you have harmonies drifting all over the place, unfettered by piano or tradition.
Chamber jazz that sounds so much bigger, with all of the vibrance but none of the excesses that sometimes accompany big bands.
Terry Gibbs had some wild big bands in the sixties. Every cut surprised you. The same is true here. This is a delight."

Never a dull moment

Don O. | Canada | 01/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Another piano-less recording that showcases Lennie Niehaus's remarkable talents as arranger and soloist. Using well-written charts, the Niehaus ensemble plays tight harmonies yet have free rein to improvise on the choruses. You certainly won't miss the piano on these charts.



Half of the tunes are Niehaus originals: "Knee Deep", "Fond Memories", "Take It From Me", "Three Of A Kind", and "Elbow Room". Each one, except Fond Memories, is a driving, bop-laden tune with great solos from Niehaus, Bill Perkins, and Stu Williamson. The slow number, "Fond Memories," has Niehaus stating the lyrical melody beautifully on alto sax.



Make no mistake about this group. They swing and they swing hard."

Last of the 5

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 09/10/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is the last of the 5 Contemporary albums Niehaus made (Jan. 1956), and it shows a definite falling off in quality compared to the earlier ones. The frequent all-out swinging that occurred previously is lacking here; in fact, only one tune, THREE OF A KIND, is taken up-tempo. Some of the originals, FOND MEMORIES and BELLE OF THE BALL, for example, are rather desultory; the version of ILL WIND, with Bill Perkins on flute, is just plain bad. The rest of the tunes are pretty good, but this CD is not essential Lennie Niehaus."