Randy Sandke - Unconventional Wisdom (Arbors, 2008)

A recent email from my friend Fernando Ortiz de Urbina (check his bilingual blog “Easy Does It”) prompted me to revisit Randy Sandke’s latest disc on Arbors, Unconventional Wisdom (Arbors ARCD 19365, from 2008), which was on heavy rotation when I first received it, several months ago.

Randy Sandke is one of those versatile musicians who can play in a wide range of styles. He has deeply studied and mastered the styles of two of his heroes, Bix Beiderbecke and Louis Armstrong, but his approach has always been fresh and very personal. He does not limit himself to traditional jazz or swing trumpet, but goes further than most musicians, having created his own musical theory, “metatonal” music.

Unconventional Wisdom shows Sandke in a small piano-less ensemble: trumpet (or flugelhorn), guitar, bass and drums. This allows him to stretch his playing and to create very close dialogues with the other musicians, all of them very distinguished sidemen. Both drummer John Riley and guitarist Howard Alden, especially the later, have been a permanent presence in the best mainstream recordings for the last twenty years or so. On the other hand, Australian bassist and vocalist Nicki Parrott is the youngest of the pack, though she has made a name for herself in the last years.

The disc has a good balance between Sandke’s originals, including pristine examples of his metatonal theory, such as “Meta Blue”, several standards (two Cole Porters, one Carmichael) and other choices, such as “Chega de Saudade” or Bill Evans’ “Funkallero”.

Forgetting about musical schemes or historical recreations, Randy Sandke is a hell of a trumpet player, and his articulation and phrasing, always fluent and full of swing, are paired with a brilliant tone.

The disc has the additional bonus of having Nicki Parrott on vocals on four tracks. Her mid-range whispering voice is very nice and reminds us of Helen Merrill, though Parrott’s style has a more emphasized nasal accent.

If you want to forget about vanguards and latest fashions and enjoy a really good disc, this may be a must-have for you, as it is for me!

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Gracias a un email de Fernando Ortiz de Urbina [no te pierdas su blog bilingüe “Easy Does It”] he vuelto a pinchar recientemente el último disco del trompetista Randy Sandke para el sello Arbors, Unconventional Wisdom (Arbors ARCD 19365, editado en 2008), que disfruté enormemente al escucharlo la primera vez, hace ya unos meses.

Randy Sandke es un músico todoterreno y un investigador incansable. Su estudio profundo de Bix Beiderbecke y Louis Armstrong le permite recrear a la perfección sus estilos, siempre con un toque personal y un enfoque propio. Sandke no se limita a tocar jazz tradicional y mainstream, sino que va más allá, mucho más lejos que la mayor parte de los músicos, pues ha creado su propio lenguaje, la música “metatonal”.

En Unconventional Wisdom, Sandke emplea un grupo reducido, sin piano: trompeta o fiscorno, guitarra, contrabajo y batería, lo que le permite desarrollar largos solos o dialogar estrechamente con los demás músicos. El elenco que le rodea es magnífico: el batería John Riley y el guitarrista Howard Alden son dos valores seguros, presentes en un gran porcentaje de las mejores sesiones mainstream en los últimos veinte o veinticinco años. Por su parte, la contrabajista y vocalista australiana Nicki Parrott se ha hecho un nombre en la escena del jazz tradicional en los últimos años.

El disco presenta un buen balance entre composiciones propias, incluyendo algún ejemplo de música metatonal, como “Meta Blue”, standards (por ejemplo, dos de Cole Porter y uno de Hoagy Carmichael) y otros temas (“Chega de Saudade”, de Vinicius de Moraes y Antonio Carlos Jobim, o “Funkallero” de Bill Evans).

Aparte de otras consideraciones musicales o historicistas, Randy Sandke es un extraordinario trompetista, con un fraseo fluido y pleno de swing, que acompaña con un tono brillante.

Por otra parte, y como bonus añadido, Nicki Parrott canta en cuatro temas. Su voz susurrante, que se mueve en el registro medio, nos recuerda en cierto modo a la de la gran Helen Merrill, si bien con un mayor acento nasal.

Como conclusión, una recomendación de la casa: si no te preocupa estar a la última y no te obsesiona pertenecer a la última vanguardia, sino sólo disfrutar de un buen disco, yo en tu lugar no me perdería Unconventional Wisdom.