Search - Bobby Shew, Groovin High :: One in a Million

Shewhorn

Ed Mann | Los Angeles, CA | 04/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I picked up this CD after buying one of Bobby's custom designed horns for my own use, and the one thing that came back to me--I hadn't heard Bobby's playing since his work with Toshiko Akyoshi's big band in the 70's or so--was his astounding versatility. His range was higher than I remembered and it seemed you could strap anything with a mouthpiece to his lips: a flugel, a trumpet, a jug, and the he'd nail the job.



In "One in a Million," he nails the job alright. In the title cut, he switches from flugel to trumpet and finds the center in each, touching the listener without too many notes or overly technical passages which can challenge listeners to keep up and enjoy the work, the communication, the art of music.



I recently found an old trumpet of mine, and in a compartment behind the horn was a shoehorn. I first narrowed my eyes, not remembering what the hell that was doing in there, and then it hit me. While I was a young music student at UCLA, he did a clinic that impressed me, and I wanted to find a unique way of remembering what he demonstrated for us, so I popped a shoe horn in the case and seeing it before a performance brought back his words of wisdom, the culmination of which you can hear on this fine CD."

Big band at a high level

Joachim Tromark | Sweden | 04/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bobby Shew is not only one of the greatest trumpetplayers in the world, he's also a helluva nice guy. I happen to know that because I've studied for him back in the nineties and I've also performed with him many times in different bands. I'm quite sure that everyone who has met bobby agree with me. He's like a magician he always brings the best out of every band and musician that he's playing with and that is very evident on this album too. The Groovin' High Big Band is a great band from Germany led by Peter Fleischhauer. There are many great players in the band and specially notable is the great lead trumpet playing of Ingolf Burkhardt. Ingolf is also teaming up with Bobby on Joy Spring wich is one of the highlights on the album.

Bobby is truly one of a kind player. He's got killer lead chops,

he's a fantastic soloist and his flugelplaying is awesome.

Not so many trumpetplayers have all this abilitys.

It's always a treat to hear Bobby and I strongly recommend this cd to every serious jazz fan in the world.



Joachim Tromark"