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We've had many reed-based groups cropping up in the last twenty years or so, including the World Saxophone Quartet, the New York Sax Quartet, Clarinet Summit and Julius Hemphill's sax sextet, but there haven't been many similar groups for the brass family with the exception of Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy.
Inspired by the World Saxophone Quartet, trumpeter Hugh Ragin has created the four horn Trumpet Ensemble and recorded an ambitious of compositions that balance arrangements with solos and collective improvisations. The group program on
Fanfare and Fiesta consists of trumpeters Ragin,
Dontae Winslow, James Zollar and Omar Kabir and is rounded out by pianist Craig Taborn, bassist Jaribu Shahid and drummer Bruce Cox. Ragin has played with jazz avant-garde musicians Anthony Braxton and John Lindberg and in David Murray's Big Band and Octet, Roscoe Mitchell's Note Factory and former James Brown trombonist Fred Wesley's group. His composing and the playing on this album show a mixture of both inside and outside.
One of the highlights of the recording is the Tex-Mex sounding title track, which opens with a beautiful piano solo and has a "Love Supreme"-ish ostinato bass pattern throughout. It's a lovely, catchy tune and features nice solos from the four horns.
Master trumpeter and inspiration Clark Terry joins group for two tunes. "Finger Filibuster" features solos from Terry and Ragin, followed by a piano solo and then the trumpeters trade fours with drummer Bruce Cox. "Spaceman" starts with a Terry-esque jive conversation between Terry and Ragin, then segues into the tune with scatting from Terry.
Ragin memorializes the late Art Ensemble of Chicago trumpeter Lester Bowie, playing two of Bowie's tunes plus a tribute composition by Ragin. The tribute starts with Bowie's "Barnyard Scuffel Shuffle" (from the Art Ensemble of Chicago's 1973 recording Fanfare for the Warriors) and features a strong solo from the busy pianist Craig Taborn and some blustery collective improvisation and trumpet solos. "How Strange" was originally on the Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass. It feature three pairs of trumpet duets which explore the sounds of the trumpet with a pair of duets using mutes sandwiching a duet using open horn. Ragin's version of the tune begins in a joyous mood that transforms to a mournful one by the end. In turn, Ragin's "A Prayer for Lester Bowie" goes from elegiac to celebratory.
The two-part extended Ragin composition "Harmonic Architecture" shows delight in whole range of trumpet techniques on the album, featuring, trumpet solos with mutes and plungers and then Ragin gets to stretch out. (There's also a sensitive solo from Taborn.) Likewise "How Strange" has three trumpet duets which also make some use of plungers and mutes. The album ends with "Emergency Exit," which feature a William Parker-like big, strong bass riff underneath with some fierce group improvisation on top.
This is a fine album, full of exuburant playing and delight in the joy and fun of playing.
— Alan Lankin, September 2001
Release Date: 30 January 2001
Fanfare & Siesta (Justin Time)
1. Finger Filibuster (Ragin) - 6:54 / 2. Fanfare and Fiesta (Ragin) - 10:22 / 3. Spaceman (Ragin) - 6:27 / 4. Barnyard Scuffel Shuffel (Ragin) - 6:16 / 5. How Strange (Ragin) - 5:59 / 6. Harmonic Architecture (Ragin) - 13:14/ 7. A Prayer for Lester Bowie (Ragin) - 12:18 / 8. Emergency Exit (Ragin) - 7:43
Personnel:
Hugh Ragin, Dontae Winslow, James Zollar, Omar Kabir - Trumpet / Clark Terry - Flugelhorn, Vocals / Craig Taborn - Piano /
Jaribu Shahid - Bass / Bruce Cox - Drums
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last update 6 September 2001