Search - Mort Weiss Quartet :: Mort Weiss meets Joey Defrancesco

Unlikely Jam: The Pied Piper Meets the Wizard

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 11/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""OK, let's just do it." The B3 player riffs on a dominant 7th sus chord; the soloist, eager to get it on, makes an entrance four measures into the organist's eight-bar intro, then waits four more bars before beginning the resilient "There Will Never Be Another You." The organ drops out a measure ahead of the first "ride" chorus, re-entering with a bass-note bomb anticipating the second beat of the chorus with enough force to propel soloist and listener alike into some outer orbit.



And so go the opening moments of this "casual" session pairing Mort Weiss' deceptively overmatched clarinet (recently out of storage after forty years!) with Joey DeFrancesco's mighty music machine. What distinguishes this one--originally released as "Mort Weiss Meets Joey DeFrancesco" before a contractual compromise required the change of title--from its successor, "The B3 and Me," is that Weiss employs his own rhythm section here, whereas the later disc features DeFrancesco's disciplined unit. What the later recording has in polished power, this one makes up for in the sound of surprise.



Ron Eschete may not be a hard-core B3 guitarist, but few of the latter would have had the presence of mind to come up with a quote from "Cocktails for Two" on the opening tune. Next, "Yours Is My Heart Alone" locates an invigorating groove considerably faster than the medium tempo normally favored by players drawn to the operatic melody, with DeFrancesco's solo featuring some wild registrations that must be missing on the drawbars of most other B3 players' instruments.



Ballads seem to take a special shine to Weiss, whose sound on clarinet is a thing of beauty--rich, complex, vibrant and alive, especially in its glowing and burnished mid-register--and DeFrancesco leaves lots of light and air for it to flourish in. Then comes the ballad--an especially affecting interpretation of "For All We Know"--all but erasing the memory of numerous saxophonists who have schmaltzed their way, however "soulfully," through the same tune.



Before the party is over, a DeFrancesco shuffle-rhythm blues, several more classic standards and swing staples, and the always-inviting melody of "The Masquerade Is Over" acquire deep-grooved traction. As DeFrancesco is quoted in the notes, "It was a fun date!" Amen."

Clarinet and jazz organ? You bet it sounds great....

Terje Biringvad | Oslo, Norway | 10/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Clarinet and Hammond B-3 organ together? Trad jazz meet soul jazz? Bottom line this is a rare instrumental combination but you gonna like it! This is a Mort Weiss' album on own label SMS Jazz - a classical trained clarinettist with a very unique personal style, adding space and melodic lines heavy influenced by "Mr. Dry Martini" - Paul Desmond. Weiss has chosen a well considered bunch of pro's for this session - Joey DeFrancesco (Hammond B-3 organ); Ron Eschete (guitar) and Ramon Banda (drums). The tunes are well rooted within the the known territories of the American Songbook - in other words too few surprises and highlights to make this a five-5 star album. But nevertheless this is most enjoyable music when the group takes us through standards like "There Will Never Be Another You", "All The Things You Are", "For All We Know" and a two originals like "Joey's Blues" and "Three Little Words" which are the album highlights. DeFrancesco plays the role as a sideman to the full extent when not over-powering the clarinet with the organ and as always, DeFrancesco, organ solos and bass lines are rock solid. Weiss has throughout the album lots of space to build up his intelligent and enjoyable swinging solos. Ron Eschete (guitar) has developed his own West Coast sound with modern approach and is an excellent sideman on this album. So just open your instrumental mind for odd (or new) combinations - organ and clarinet will be recorded together again!"