Standard Deviation opens with a quirky and fun rendition of Michael
Jackson’s “Thriller.” This song, and the album from which it comes, could not
be avoided in my early teens. Those songs seemed to dominate the airwaves and our
school dances for several years. While I’m not a huge fan of that record,
“Thriller” is certainly the most interesting and enjoyable of its tracks. This
rendition is powered by horns, which works quite well, particularly as the
bass mostly maintains that familiar theme. John Challoner is on trumpet, Owen
Broder is on alto saxophone, Adam Larson is on tenor saxophone, Nick Grinder is
on trombone, Dave Baron is on bass, and Nathan Ellman-Bell is on drums. “Thriller”
is followed by an unusual take on “Ode To Billie Joe,” featuring some groovy
and funky percussion. My girlfriend brought up this song to me just the other
day, and together we looked up information on the story, because she had her
own ideas on just what it was that was tossed from the Tallahatchie Bridge (and
it certainly was not what was used in the film inspired by this song). Apparently,
songwriter Bobbie Gentry has never revealed precisely what she intended the
object to be, saying that the exact object isn’t important, that it’s the
family’s indifference to news of the suicide that is at the core of the song.
Anyway, this track features fewer horns than the opening track, and Benjamin
Sutin’s violin takes a prominent spot in the telling of the tale, along with
Owen Broder’s alto saxophone, and Matt Podd’s piano. This rendition gets
seriously fun toward the end, and I love that section with violin and
percussion, which reminds me of the Irish folk music I love so much.
D’Layna joins the group on vocals
for a soulful and cool version of Bob Dylan’s “Dear Landlord.” John Challoner
delivers some wonderful work on trumpet, effectively a second voice, making the
song a sort of duet. However, D’Layna doesn’t deliver any of the song’s lyrics,
but rather riffs a bit. And Matt Podd delivers some nice work on piano. This is
a thoroughly enjoyable track, something to put a smile on your face. That’s followed by “Don’t Stop Believin’,” another
song I heard a whole lot while growing up. Seriously, who didn’t own a copy of Escape? The moment this version from
Wayne Alpern starts – on violin, no less – I become seriously happy. This track
is delightful. Interestingly, there are some vocals on this track, provided by
Jeff Burnige, but they are presented as spoken word, sort of in the background,
like on an old radio. “Just a city
boy/Born and raised in south Detroit/He took the midnight train going anywhere,”
then skipping to “For a smile, they can
share the night/It goes on and on and on and on.” I’m guessing any fan of
this song (and who isn’t?) is going to dig this rendition. There is even a
brief drum solo in the middle of it. Then the bass gets “Teenage Dream” going.
This is the only song on the album that wasn’t familiar to me (it was written
by Katy Perry, someone I haven’t listened to), but I am digging the bass line. The
horns seem to be dancing at moments. There is certainly some joy here, which I
appreciate. But for me, it is that bass line that really sells it.
I have loved the Zombies’
“She’s Not There” since I first heard it in my childhood (I had it on a
cassette). And who isn’t thinking about zombies these days? It’s difficult to
not see the parallels between our current situation and those zombie virus
films, except of course for all the flesh-eating, which so far we’ve managed to
avoid. Anyway, this is a wonderful rendition, with some great stuff from
Benjamin Sutin on violin. And these guys keep it going, stretching the song to
nearly eight minutes, adding a little nod to James Bond at one point. Wayne
Alpern follows that with a cover of the 1975 hit song “Who Loves You” by The
Four Seasons (here titled “Who Loves You Pretty Baby”). This one is all about
the horns, and has a sweet tone at times, particularly on the title line. Then
as the song nears its conclusion it takes on a cool vibe. Wayne Alpern also
offers a good rendition of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” As you might
guess, this track features a delicious bass line. It also features some
excellent work by Benjamin Sutin on violin. There is a beautiful and moving
section in the second half of the track.
This album contains a second
Bob Dylan song, “As I Went Out One Morning.” Interestingly, this one is from the
same record as “Dear Landlord,” John
Wesley Harding, which was released in 1967. This track features just four
musicians: Owen Broder on alto saxophone, Benjamin Sutin on violin, Dave Baron
on bass, and Nathan Ellman-Bell on drums. So it ends up having a fairly
straightforward sound, which works well. The album then closes with another
classic tune from the 1960s, “My Girl.” This is another one that never fails to
bring a smile to my face, and I love what Wayne Alpern has done with it. This
is quite a pretty rendition, with more outstanding work on violin, and also by
Owen Broder on clarinet. This track takes hold of us, and carries us on an
emotional journey that surprised me the first time I listened to this disc.
It’s really a phenomenal rendition.
CD Track List
- Thriller
- Ode To Billie Joe
- Dear Landlord
- Don’t Stop Believin’
- Teenage Dream
- She’s Not There
- Who Loves You Pretty Baby
- Somebody That I Used To Know
- As I Went Out One Morning
- My Girl
Standard Deviation is scheduled to be released on April 3, 2020.
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