Carl Staaf and Carmen Staaf
The Staaf Quartet
© 2004 Carl Staaf and Carmen Staaf (766433992021)
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Classic swinging jazz delivered with taste and creativity. The combination of intelligence, musicianship, and good tunes creates great music. The Staafs (Carl on tenor sax and Carmen on piano) are joined by two of Seattle's finest jazz musicians.
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This is pure! This is pure music! This is pure pleasure! This recording is all one needs for pleasurable listening moments. Superior tunes played by superior musicians. These four young players are truly a quartet who come together to make music - music that is wonderfully inspiring, rich, fun-filled and beautiful. It can be wrapped up in one word -- taste and creativity (so, who's counting?).
The Staaf Quartet is Carl Staaf (Tenor Sax), Carmen Staaf (Piano), Michael Glynn (Bass), and Mark Ivester (Drums).
Let's get to the music -- one obscure gorgeous standard, and seven originals -- three by Carmen, and four by Carl. All are just marvels of inventiveness with a sense of playfulness always just below the surface. As a good example, Carmen's opening tune, "Playtime" shows her at her best as a great pianist and composer. It doesn't hurt that it has a strong Monkish feel. Brother Carl is a compatible musical twin with matching chops.
"Bluebell Waltz" is a pretty theme that shows the maturity of these still young performers.
The proof of any jazz group is their swingessence. Carl's tune, "Stingray Stomp" shows his tenor sax lineage - Lester Young, Zoot Sims, Don Lanphere. All distilled into a lot of Carl Staaf.
"Considering" and "Folk Song" are two more compositions by Carl. The former a heartfelt ballad, and "Folk Song" - "Nature Boy" played sideways?
And, how can we not love the blues? Especially when the Staaf Quartet really gets the blooz ("Big Foot Blues"). How can these young squirts be so good!
Carmen contributes a nice "Clouds" that truly expresses her love of life. The CD concludes with a gorgeous song popular in the `40's - "Now is the Hour." It's a rather unlikely piece of music for a jazz album, but that's the genius of this music. You start with a potentially "schmaltzy" tune a make it a pearl. "Hour" can be abused with "maudlinicity," but trust Carmen's arrangement to create a gospel-like, soulful paean that tells us all is well with the world.
In conclusion, my friends, this is that rare occasion when four solid musicians come together as one. The combination of intelligence, musicianship, and good tunes creates great music.
Bravo!!
Writ by Bud Young, boy writer.
November 2004
reviews
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- author: john lindstrom
I first heard this CD on Jim Wilke's KPLU show. I was astounded to learn that the musicians are so young, considering the maturity and nuance of the sound. I knew of Mark Ivester already ( a great drummer), but had not heard of the other three. All the original compositions hold one's attention fully (more than one seems to be a blues chord pattern). I am reminded of the Stan Getz "art" recordings of the 1950's, quite pure and inventive.