Glenn Zottola Plays - Classid Standards With Strings (+cd)

Glenn Zottola was best known in his earlier years as a hot trumpeter whose classic style ranged from Louis Armstrong to Clifford Brown. He also occasionally played alto in those days but in more recent times has often recorded on tenor. The versatile Zottola has been featured on a series of stimulating projects for Music Minus One including tributes to Clifford Brown (on trumpet), Charlie Parker (on alto) and Stan Getz's bossa nova period (on tenor). "This series lets me pay tribute to some of the great legends who influenced who I am," says Glenn Zottola, "and it also allows me to pass down to others what was passed down to me. A little while ago, I received a Dexter Gordon mouthpiece from the instrument company RS Berkeley. I had never played a metal mouthpiece before. It is so small it is almost like playing an alto mouthpiece.

I decided to do some research into other tenor-saxophonists who had played metal mouthpieces, ranging from Sonny Rollins, early John Coltrane, Dexter and Don Byas, all the way back to Coleman Hawkins. When I reached Ben Webster, it brought back memories of listening to his recordings with Duke Ellington, and I was inspired to record these ballads with his flavor." On Ben Webster Revisited, Zottola makes no attempt to imitate Webster but performs a set of ballads utilizing the great tenor's relaxed and romantic approach along with hints of his airy breathy sound. Rather than playing double-time phrases, he lets the music breathe, putting plenty of feeling into each note. Among the highlights are such songs as "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" (from Jerome Kern's Showboat), "Stardust", "Blue Moon" and "Laura." A special treat is hearing the beautiful "Portrait of Jennie", a song that has hardly been played in jazz since Clifford Brown.

This is a very romantic album, one in which Glenn Zottola captures the essence of the great Ben Webster. - Scott Yanow, author of 11 books including Swing, Bebop, Jazz on Film and Jazz on Record 1917-76.