Album Notes

About the Fred Buda Quintet
This group of players came together as the result of a mistake. I had booked a gig for a jazz quartet and had inadvertently hired two bass players for the same night. Since I had to pay then both, I asked them both to play. Marshall Wood would play acoustic bass and David Buda would play bass guitar. The result was a revelation to us all.

I was hearing two great players on two very different bass instruments who were instantly of the same mind, complimenting each other and the music. As a jazz drummer, I had never felt so comfortable in a time pocket. I had not experienced the kind of groove that these bass players were creating. During my 37 year as the drummer with the Boston Pops Orchestra, I was also privileged to play with the legendary Herb Pomeroy Jazz Orchestra. Mike Monaghan was a member of Herb’s powerhouse saxophone section. He’s been a regular player himself with the Boston Pops for thirty years, and his versatility as jazz saxophonist and woodwind doubler has made him one of the most in-demand players in Boston. He has played with everyone from Anita O’day to Buckwheat Zydeco, John Williams to John Mellencamp.

Ben Cook is one of the smartest and most creative musicians I have ever played with. His jazz playing is always fresh and unpredictable, and his intuitive musical common sense makes him perfect for a rhythm section with two virtuoso bass players.

Marshall Wood has been THE consummate jazz bass player on the Boston scene forever. A time machine with a velvet touch, he has provided the pulse for jazz players from Ruby Braff to Monty Alexander. He is an artist as a soloist and a sensitive colleague as an accompanist. Marshall is currently the bassist for the immortal Tony Bennett.

David Buda is, I am proud to say, one of the finest and most creative electric bassists in the world today. His technical and musical “virtuoso chops’ are mind boggling, and he always surprises with his great choice of notes, time, and space.

The group of players is one of a kind in my experience. I hope you find it that way, too. - Fred Buda