Fairbanks, Jeff
bju, 2011, CD
Instrument: Trombone
Issue: 17.3
Jazz Ruler Type: BigBand
Performance: 4
Sound: 4
Score: 
O’s Notes: Trombonist Jeff Fairbanks leads, arranges, conducts and composed most of the music for Mulberry Street. The title serves as a New York crossroad between Little Italy and Chinatown. Of particular interest to Fairbanks is the cross-cultural music that occurs in Buddhist funeral ceremonies led by Chinese funeral parlors that were formerly Italian owned, retaining some Western tradition. We hear this in a four-part suite that is quite revealing. Our favorite of the suite is “Part III: Releasing Grief”. The other five songs include more traditional jazz, all with some Asian influence. Highlights are “Woodside Story”, “San Ma Da” and “Hoping for Hope”. The intricate brass layering is present on most of the songs and drove our appreciation of the session.
Publicist: Red Cat Publicity
