Danilo Perez - Across the Crystal Sea

[GA Russell]

Danilo Perez has a new album out on EmArcy called Across the Crystal Sea. (Has Universal moved all of its Verve musicians to EmArcy? So far, I've noticed James Carter, Roy Hargrove and now Perez. EmArcy is listed on the Universal website as being part of the Decca Music Group rather than the Verve Music Group.) The cover says in fine print: "Arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman".

I think it would be more accurate to say that this is an Ogerman album with some help from Perez. The original idea for it was Tommy LiPuma's. His goal was to have Ogerman do another album like what he did for the Bill Evans With Symphony Orchestra album. Ogerman's arrangements here are for a lush string orchestra. I haven't heard the Bill Evans album. It has been many years since I last heard Ogerman's album Cityscape with Michael Brecker, but as I recall the arrangements are similar. The orchestra here is in the foreground, as it was with Cityscape.

Perez and the rhythm section recorded their music in New York Sept., 2007. Ogerman and the orchestra recorded in Los Angeles three weeks later. Yet it sounds like Perez is accompanying the orchestra rather than the other way around!

The rhythm section is Christian McBride on bass, Lewis Nash on drums and Luis Quintero on percussion. I would say that their talents are wasted, because they are hardly noticeable.

There are eight tracks; two standards which feature vocals by Cassandra Wilson and six instrumentals for which Ogerman is given composer's credit. However, five of the six are "after a theme" by various classical composers.

I like this album a lot, and I like it more and more with each listen. I recommend it. But I think you should know before you spend your money that 95% of your enjoyment will come from Claus Ogerman's string orchetra rather than Danilo Perez's jazz piano.

By the way, the press release mentions some albums Ogerman did the arrangements for that I hadn't realized, including a couple of my favorites - Antonio Carlos Jobim's The Composer Plays and my favorite Michael Franks album Sleeping Gypsy.

[Daniel A]

A pity this one turned out too soapy. FWIW I much prefer the Ogerman/Oscar Peterson album 'Motions and Emotions' over the Bill Evans album mentioned.

[Tom Storer]

Boy, I totally disagree, GA. I hear the orchestra as being sonically in the background--kind of compressed and thin-sounding, not much relief, although very warm. Not acoustically realistic at all--it doesn't sound in any way as if the orchestra and the musicians were in the same space. I'm not surprised in the least to learn that they didn't record it together, it really sounds that way to me. I'd like to know, however, whether Perez and the rhythm section were listening to another recorded, perhaps synthesized version of the charts as they played. I'm no expert but it must be pretty hard to come up with string arrangements to put behind a jazz group after the fact, no?

Personally, 95% of my enjoyment does come from Perez and his partners. The strings are a lush, warm pillow--more like an image of a pillow since as I said, there's not much depth to the sound--but not, to my ears, the main deal at all. Perez plays beautifully throughout, with a beautiful, contained lyricism. Nor do I think that McBride, Nash and Quintero were wasted. They play very well and I greatly enjoy Nash's discreetly swinging drums--a testament, IMO, to the way a great jazz drummer can make a big difference in a less-is-more style.

Special mention also to Cassandra Wilson's absolutely gorgeous versions of "Lazy Afternoon" and "(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings." As with much of her work these days, she sings relatively softly and close to the mike, as opposed to singing out. In this sumptuously recorded context it sounds great.

Like you, I like it more with each listen.

[GA Russell]

I'd like to know, however, whether Perez and the rhythm section were listening to another recorded, perhaps synthesized version of the charts as they played.

I was thinking the same thing, Tom!

I don't think that Perez's solos are particularly interesting in their own right. I think that he kept them pretty conservative to be consistent with what the strings are doing.

[Tom Storer]

Perez plays very conservatively compared to what he does in the outer-space Shorter quartet, certainly. But conservative doesn't mean uninteresting. He can't go too far afield from the strings or there wouldn't be any point playing with the strings to begin with. But I find his playing more interesting than the strings!

[Ken Dryden]

This CD hits me as bland.

Ogerman on a "favorite Michael Franks album"? I can't stand his drippy vocals or inane lyrics...

I gag every time I've heard "Popsicle Toes" thankfully, it hasn't been on the radio around here in some time.

[Big Al]

I guess I'm one of the few folks who really loves this album. Ogerman sounds as inspired as he was when he was collaborating with Jobim on TERRA BRASILIS. At this point, it is easily my favorite album of the year!