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Cadence: The Review of Jazz "& Blues Creative Improvised Music; Vol. 26 No. 6

June, 1998

Chuck Israels and the Metropole Orchestra, Eindhoven Concert

Azica Jazz AJD-72206

Theme a Tics/ Sultry Atmosphere/ Willow Weep for Me/ Jump IN/ Sing Me Softly of the Blues/ Nature Boy/ String Fever/ Spring is Here/ Carole's Garden. 64:00

Israels, cond, arr; Claudio Roditi, tpt, flgh solos; Axel Hagen, g: Rob van Bavel, p; Rob Langereis, b; Cees Kranenburg, d; Bart van Lier, tbn; Leo Janssen, ts; Max Boeree, bari s; Koel Koster, hn; Martin de Ruiter, Eng hn; Erno Olah, vin; other personnel unidentified. No date of place of recording given.

Bassist Chuck Israels, who penned two of the selections on [Eindhoven Concert], co-authored "string Fever" (with Miles Black) and wrote all of the charts, uses the much larger canvas provided by the string-laden Metropole Orchestra as Roditi's backdrop and support in a luminous concert performance recorded in April '96 at Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Claudio is clearly the star in this firmament, as members of the orchestra--aside from its topnotch rhythm section and the few other soloists--aren't even identified. One fact that is quickly established is that the Metropole has an excellent pianist in Rob Bavel, who shapes dynamic solos on Martial Solal's breezy opener, "Theme a Tics," "string Fever," Denny Zeitlin's "Carole's Garden" and Israels' "Jump In." Others making forceful statements include trombonist Bar van Lier and guitarist Axel Hagen ("Willow Weep for Me") and tenor saxophonist Leo Janssen ("Willow," "Carole's Garden"). Rounding out he program are Rodgers and Hart's vernal standard, "Spring Is Here," the Nat Cole hit "Nature Boy," and the Israels' other composition, "Sultry Atmosphere." While I'm no great admirer of big-band string sections (they often get in the way of more earnest Jazz-centered pursuits), the Metropole is a classy outfit, and Israels uses the strings judiciously to ensure that the ensemble's natural proclivity to swing isn't' unduly restrained as he strives to erase any lingering images of "Jackie Gleason's Late-Night Rendezvous with Claudio Roditi." He doesn't always succeed, but does so often enough--with Roditi's and Bavel's stout-hearted assistance--to earn the session a clear-cut stamp of approval

Jack Bowers

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