Cloud Bowling with Claude Bolling: Music for Tuba and Jazz Trio – Jim Shearer
Label: Summit Records
Release date: Nov 2023
Catalog number: 804Jim Shearer, tuba; Chris Reyman, piano; Erik Unsworth, bass; Andy Smith, drums
Why attempt playing the famous Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio on the tuba? To quote the often-repeated phrase by George Mallory when asked why he was the first to attempt a climb of Mount Everest: “Because it’s there.” Serious solo literature has only been available for the tuba since the 1950s, when composers including Paul Hindemith and Ralph Vaughan Williams began writing for the instrument. Given that relatively short amount of time, tubists are often forced to borrow from the works of other instruments if they want to enjoy the style of a given composer who never got around to writing for the tuba, such as Claude Bolling, or who were, sadly, already dead before the tuba was even invented. The attempt here, with modesty, is to show that the tuba is capable of being an agile solo instrument that can handle the same complexity of repertory created for any other instrument.
Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio was written in 1973 for Jean-Pierre Rampal, a noted classical flutist of the day. Rampal and Bolling later recorded the work, and that recording spent almost two years at the top of the Billboard classical chart, where it continued to hold a successful place in the top 100 for over 10 years. The recording also won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.
Cloud Bowling (2021) was composed for Jim Shearer, to be premiered alongside Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, rearranged for tuba. Taking inspiration from Bolling’s suite, Cloud Bowling is comprised of seven movements that blend jazz and classical styles and performance practices. The composition contains references to seminal jazz composers, along with a more progressive compositional approach offering ample amounts of space for improvisation.
REVIEW:
The French jazz pianist-composer-bandleader Claude Bolling (1930-2020) had a wide-ranging career. He found his greatest success by composing “Suite for Flute And Jazz Piano Trio,” teaming up with classical flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal for a beloved best-selling record.
Cloud Bowling is a two-CD set that features Jim Shearer on tuba, pianist Chris Reyman, bassist Erik Unsworth, and drummer Andy P. Smith. All of the musicians are educators who have extensive experience performing both jazz and classical music.
The first CD consists of the seven movements of Bolling’s “Suite For Flute And Jazz Piano Trio” but with tuba instead of flute. While some listeners may still regard the tuba as a limited instrument, the virtuosic Shearer proves otherwise. The familiar themes, which range from whimsical to warm ballads, are treated quite well. While there are some updates to the 50-year old material, lovers of the original suite will find much to enjoy here and I think Claude Bolling would have been pleased to hear this.
The second disc debuts Reyman’s “Cloud Bowling (Suite For Tuba And Jazz Trio).” A bit more modern and sometimes more somber than Bolling’s work, the music includes some excellent improvising, a few warm melodies, mood variations, and tributes to Duke Ellington (”Ellingtonian”) and Dave Brubeck (“Brubesque”). The interplay between Shearer and Reyman both in the written and improvised sections contains plenty of exciting moments.
-Scott Yanow for LA Jazz Scene
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SPECIAL 2-CD SET
DISC 1: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (Performed on Tuba)
1 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: 1. Baroque and Blue
2 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: 2. Sentimentale
3 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: 3. Javanaise
4 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: 4. Fugace
5 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: 5. Irlandaise
6 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: 6. Versatile
7 Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio: 7. Veloce
DISC 2: Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio)
1 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio): 1. The Opener
2 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio): 2. Ellingtonian
3 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio): 3. Brubesque
4 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio): 4. Double Ones
5 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio): 5. Borrowed Time
6 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio): 6. Overshadowed
7 Cloud Bowling (Suite for Tuba and Jazz Trio): 7. The Closer
