Search - Scott Hamilton, Alan Broadbent :: With Strings

"Broadbent's arrangements & Hamilton's playing is absolute"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 02/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All jazz musicians yearn to make a string recording - Charlie Parker's "Just Friends" comes to mind, also Bobby Hackett's "Music For Lovers Only", the great Jacklie Gleason mood-setting series from the '50s. Carl E. Jefferson paired Scott with Alan Broadbent (piano/musical director/conductor), with Bob Maize (bass), Roy Mc Curdy (drums) and a twenty piece string orchestra, the event was nothing short of magnificent. Some of the most beautiful arrangements ever to appear on any soloist-with-strings recording, and Scott was liking it, leaning backwards with his eyes closed inspired by the amazing sounds coming from the orchestra.Of course the stand outs - "MY FOOLISH HEART" (Washington/Young), gets under your skin, beautiful beyond belief..."ANGEL EYES" (Dennis/Brent), memories of Nat King Cole velvety sound, Scott gives this a whole new meaning..."NANCY (WITH THE LAUGHING FACE)" (Van Heusen/Silvers), big band hit from "ole blues eyes" Sinatra, Broadbent's string-arrangement reaches deep into your soul.The highlights are - "YOUNG AND FOOLISH" (Hague/Horwitt), romantically fresh, the verse sets the mood and Hamilton delivers...sounds better the more you hear it, there is a meditating perfection which lingers with each note..."TONIGHT I SHALL SLEEP WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE" (Ellington/Gordon), this is music for "beautiful-dreams", being in love and having a certain feeling when you're around that special person in your life...this is Hamilton at his best, and Concord Jazz we need another just like it...this album is the absolute!Total Time: 58:00 on 10 Tracks...Concord Jazz CCD 4538...(1993)"

Scott has never sounded better

John MacLeod | Guelph, Ontario Canada | 06/15/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Scott Hamilton's tone and phrasing on tenor go beyond "classic": the man is simply archetypal. On this album he is captured with greater clarity and lushness than ever before. Every nuance of his breathtaking artistry is brought shining to the surface for your ears to enjoy. Alan Broadbent's string arrangements complement Scott's rich tone perfectly, while at the same time they avoid cliche or syrupy triteness with some unusual and innovative voicings. This is the strings album for people who don't like strings albums."

Hamilton Cools out with lush strings

rash67 | USA | 03/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The world is full of Jazz tenor men who get up and blow as hard as they can with little care about their abrasive tone or musicality. Then there are sax men like Stan Getz and Scott Hamilton with a glorious tone, sweet, romantic, relaxing, but with musical integrity, that is, not sappy Jazz-Lite. This is Cool Jazz. There are also jazz men playing instantly forgetable original "compositions" and there are stylists who, rather than trying to write unlistenable originals, find the best of the American Songbook and put their own individual signature on it.



Scott Hamilton is one of the later - perhaps a carryover from an earlier era when melody mattered. For those who haven't heard him Scott Hamilton sticks a little closer to the melodic line than Getz. The string arrangements by Alan Broadbent are wonderful, lush romantic, while a relaxed, breathy, laconic Hamilton improvizes around the strings like Getz did in "Focus". Even bebopper Charlie Parker recorded one of his most popular albums with strings. Sting albums with the wrong arrangement can become sappy real fast, but Broadbents arrangements are intricate and emphasis the interaction with the sax. Broadbent has recorded piano albums on his own and also with Charlie Hadens Quartet West.



All cuts are good, warm, lush, romantic (except perhaps Look of Love). I particularly like "My Foolish Heart", the Bossa Nova version of "I Concentrate on You" and "Goodbye Mr Evans" perhaps written for Bill Evans? Notes don't say. Drink a glass of champagne with your favorite girl and enjoy



Impressive. Much better than the typical "with strings" album. Well recorded."