Album Notes

Jim Houck Productions
Sterling, Virginia September 2008

Jim Houck Productions announced the release of its newest jazz CD Orpheus Jazz, ‘S Wonderful” featuring Roger Rossi on trumpet (retired from the Army Blues Band), Bill VanLear on piano, Paul Clarke on drums and Jim Houck on bass. This fine jazz set is a creative and exciting follow-on to the acclaimed “A Touch of Class” CD released last year.

The new DVD is a virtual tour de force of great standards and some surprising new renditions of beautiful songs such as “Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise”; not usually heard as a jazz number. The disc features the well known Roger Rossi on trumpet with the excellent Orpheus regulars, Jim Houck on bass, Bill VanLear on piano and Paul Clarke on drums.

The set starts with “Song For My Father” beautifully played by Rossi with excellent passages by VanLear on piano. The group next launches into “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise” with a clever and creative rendition that positively swings. Next Jim Houck leads us into “Moonlight In Vermont” with a long passage of bass melody line bowing the bass adroitly for a number of bars before changing to rhythm backup as Rossi picks up the trumpet line.

The next track is a fine version of the classic tune and the CD’s signature song, ‘S Wonderful, followed by the creative and lyrical “You Don’t Know What Love Is”. Orpheus then provides a fine touch to the classic “Cute” with splendid drum work by Paul Clarke. Orpheus then gets into “Green Dolphin Street” which was also featured on their first CD. The new rendition is quite different but equally exciting as the previous. Surely one of the best tracks on the disc. Throughout the fine artistry of Bill VanLear on piano is marvelously evident lending a lyric foundation to every track.

This excellent jazz CD contains among its twelve fine tracks several additional beautiful and thoughtful pieces such as “A Child Is Born”, and “Angel Eyes.” Throughout the jazz is clever, creative, swinging and mellow. Just wonderful for an evening of great listening. This is another world class jazz CD by the masterful Orpheus Jazz and one wonders what fine music they will bring us in the future.

John Clark