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Question: What is the primary difference between your intimate little jazz ensemble and a jazz orchestra? Answer: Beautiful BRASS! The horns! The trumpets, flugelhorns, French horn, and trombones--all gloriously alive on the Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra's (BWJO) Carol of the Bells. As a former trumpeter myself, I may be a tad biased, but there is absolutely nothing like the bright inclusion of brass to complete a vibrant wall of jazz sound. Terrific!

When I unexpectedly found BWJO's CD in my mailbox, I had never heard of the group and did not know what to expect. About ten bars into the first track (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas), I knew that I was mining pure gold. These polished professionals play with verve and style, and the recording quality is top-notch. Perhaps most importantly, they play each bar with pleasure, and that sense of joy permeates the performance.

Part of BWJO's successful formula is undoubtedly vocalist Everett Greene, who sings on about half the cuts. Part Louis Armstrong, part Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), Greene's magnificent, deep-throated bass is gravel and honey, and I could listen to him all night. He's no boring by-the-book guy; Greene does some nice interpretational twists, owning every note.

From the start, Carol of the Bells is an outstanding ride. As Greene croons the familiar Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas melody, the horns repeat a pulsing brass floor that is too cool. Made me want to dig my trumpet out of the closet and jump right in! As you progress through the CD, you continue to uncover fun "Aha!" moments; each track is a fabulous find. The bluesy piano treatment of Silent Night, the jumpin' avant-garde take on Jingle Bells, the darkly cool clarinets on Carol of the Bells, it's truly all perfection here. The two "Charlie Brown" pieces (Skating and Christmastime Is Here) are an excellent set-up for the sophisticated close, a clarinet-laden What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? that slyly introduces Greene's inimitable bass about halfway through.

Congratulations to the Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra. Your Carol of the Bells is a top performer this season!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Brent Wallarab: Co-leader/arranger/trombone
Mark Buselli: Co-leader/trumpet and flugelhorn

Everett Greene: Vocal
Tom Meyer: Alto & soprano saxophones, flute and clarinet
Mike Stricklin: Alto saxophone, flute and clarinet
Frank Glover: Clarinet and tenor saxophone
Rob Dixon: Soprano and tenor saxophones
Ned Boyd: Baritone saxophone and bass clarinet
Joey Tartell: Lead trumpet and flugelhorn
Jeff Conrad: Trumpet and flugelhorn
Mike Hackett: Trumpet and flugelhorn
Celeste Holler: French horn
Loy Hetrick: Trombone
Jason Miller: Trombone
Rich Dole: Bass trombone
Robin Hopkins: Guitar
Luke Gillespie: Piano
Jack Helsley: Bass
Jesse Nolan: Drums

Produced by Owl Studios, Inc./Executive Producer Al Hall

From the Website:

The BWJO presents a delightful collection of original arrangements of all-time holiday favorites. Highlighted by Wallarab's masterful arrangements, top-notch playing of the orchestra, and the sultry, crooner vocalisms of Thelonius Monk International Vocalist Competition finalist Everett Greene, Carol of the Bells will certainly become a holiday classic.

Since 1991, Brent Wallarab has been lead trombonist with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the jazz orchestra in residence at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History in Washington, DC. As lead trombonist, he specializes in recreating the entire spectrum of jazz brass styles. In 1992, Wallarab was appointed Specialist in Jazz for the Smithsonian Institution and serves as transcriber, researcher, editor, and advisor for the Smithsonian's extensive jazz program. He has transcribed and edited over 300 masterworks for jazz orchestra and is considered one of the leading authorities on historical composition for jazz orchestras such as Duke Ellington, Sy Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, and Gil Evans. He has been instrumental is cataloguing and identifying many pieces from the Ellington archives housed at the Smithsonian Institution.

Mark Buselli is head of Jazz Studies at Butler University in Indianapolis. Voted teacher of the year in the music school at Butler for 2004-2005 season Mark was also the 2001 director of the Indiana All State Jazz ensemble. Received a Creative Renewal grant from the Indianapolis Arts Council for 2005 to go to NYC and study arranging and composition with well known artists. He is a clinician for the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, Conn/Selmer, and a member of BMI, and IAJE.

Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

Carol of the Bells

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