Bob Florence Eternal Licks & Grooves CD

Bob Florence: Larry Koonse (guitar); Jeff Driscoll (clarinet, saxophone); Billy Kerr, Tom Peterson, Bob Carr, Jeff Driskill (clarinet); Don Shelton , Kim Richmond (alto clarinet); Lee Thornberg, Pete Desiena, Steve Huffsteter , Ron Stout, Larry Lunetta, Carl Saunders (flugelhorn); Alex Isles, Charles Loper, Bob McChesney (trombone); Craig Gosnell (bass trombone); Bob Florence (piano); Trey Henry (bass instrument); Peter Erskine (drums); Scott Whitfield.
Personnel: Don Shelton , Kim Richmond (clarinet, saxophone); Lee Thornberg, Pete Desiena, Larry Lunetta (trumpet).
Additional personnel: Carl Saunders (trumpet); Scott Whitfield (trombone); Peter Erskine.
Although there weren't many big bands on the jazz scene in the 2000s, being a big band leader, composer, and arranger is no retro exercise for Bob Florence. A veteran whose experience dates back to the 1950s, Florence knows how to work a large ensemble, and 2007's ETERNAL LICKS AND GROOVES is a testament to his mastery. In re-arranging well known tunes and musical motifs by Count Basie, Claude Debussy, and Kern and Mercer, Florence demonstrates his ability to use the textures, dynamics, and tonal color of the large group to startling effect. Florence's own tunes are mighty impressive too.
Bob Florence has built a reputation as a solid arranger and composer who has amassed quite a discography that extended nearly a half-century by the time this studio recording was made in the spring of 2006. Leading an all-star West Coast-based big band sprinkled with a few guest soloists, the pianist starts things off with his imaginative "Eternal Licks & Grooves," an IAJE-commissioned work saluting Count Basie that utilizes a repeated lick from Basie's "One O'Clock Jump" but not in a traditional swing setting. Claude Debussy's French Impressionist work "Claire de Lune" seems like a brand new composition after Florence applies his master strokes on the charts for his band, transforming it from a quiet ballad to an upbeat cooker. Branislaw Kaper's "Invitation" is a favorite of singers and instrumentalists alike, typically played in a bossa nova setting; Florence's approach is more reserved, gaining steam gradually and providing an excellent solo showcase for tenor saxophonist Jeff Driskill and trumpeter Steve Huffsteter. Finally, "Appearing in Cleveland" serves as a finale, saluting bandleader Stan Kenton and incorporating several of his most famous compositions in aFlorence's imaginative extended suite. Highly recommended! This CD was nominated in 2007 for a Grammy award as Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. ~ Ken DrydenDown Beat (p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[S]winging and exciting....Fans of brash bands like Kenton and Gordon Goodwin's will impatiently await the big finish of 'Cleveland'..."
JazzTimes (p.90) - "His latest release sends a clarion signal that his creativity is as sharp as ever....Everything Florence conceives either hits a groove or inevitably goes airborne."