NO LAUGHING MATTER: THE BOB
McCHESNEY QUARTET PLAYS STEVE ALLEN
BOB McCHESNEY QUARTET. Bob McChesney, trombone; Matt
Harris, piano; Trey Henry, bass; Dick Weller, drums.
SUMMIT RECORDS DCD 261 (P.O. Box 26850,
Tempe, AZ 85285; Phone: 480/491-6432; Fax:
480/491-6433; E-mail: darby@summitrecords.
com; Web: www.summitrecords.com)
Steve Allen: Meet Me Where They Play The Blues; Time; Road Rage; Pretty People; Chittlins; Steve's Blues: Cutie Face; Sultry Samba; This Is Where We Came In; Playing The Field.
These days, there is a ground swell of Bob McChesney talk from within the jazz trombone community. Most of the enthusiasm is being generated by the same young trombonists who embraced J.J. Johnson in the '40s, Carl Fontana in the '60s, and Bill Watrous in the '70s. These rapidly evolving students yearn to be dexterous jazz technicians, without being labeled unsubstantial by myopic critics who fail to understand that agile trombone improvisation is in of itself an innovation. They are the latest generation to pay homage to the magically elusive "doodle tongue"; and right now Bob McChesney is one of their handpicked favorites.
From the stand point of sheer technical prowess, NO LAUGHING MATTER is in a class by itself. McChesney is perfecting doodle tonguing in ways that are almost incalculable. Of principal significance is his ability to incorporate robust body and substance into his overall sound, while still maintaining remarkable speed and clarity. Throughout this recording, McChesney addresses the dynamics issue raised by opponents of doodle tongue technique. Dynamic limitation has always been the overused criticism leveled at trombonists who embrace this style of playing - with "they have to use a micophone", being the most frequent disclaimer. I doubt that anyone could fairly assess McChesney in this matter. Judging solely by his performance on this recording, one would assume that he is capable of performing at any volume that suits him.
McChesney has surrounded himself with a fabulous rhythm section, performing surprisingly neglected compositions by Steve Allen, one of the most underrated creators of American song. The fact that Allen was personally involved in this project only adds to McChesney's growing stock as a major player in the music business.
After several years of prominent studio work and apprenticeship in world-class organizations like the Bob Florence Big Band, Bob McChesney has arrived. There are times when hearing him is like hearing the trombone played for the first time. No serious jazz trombone collection can be complete without the possession of this recording.
Tom Smith
Pfeiffer University
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