Every once in a while a recording comes along that I cannot stop playing over and over. Such is the case with "Fleet Street" (Max Frank Music – 002), a big band jazz version of the music from Sweeney Todd, by the KNOXVILLE JAZZ ORCHESTRA, arranged and conducted by TERRY VOSBEIN. I have listened to a lot of excellent new recordings this year, and this is the best that I have heard so far. Vosbein puts to rest the misperception that the music of Stephen Sondheim is not exactly fertile ground for jazz interpretation. This is music that would have been right at home in the book of Stan Kenton. It is exciting, challenging, and exhilarating.
As a huge fan of both Sondheim's music and big band jazz, I was thrilled when I heard about Vosbein's undertaking, and the final product exceeds even my most extravagant expectations. Vosbein's charts are full of surprises and are infused with a sense of humor that adds a special dimension to them that is too often missing in contemporary big band writing. The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is impressive throughout. The ensemble playing is tight, and the solo turns sparkle. Sondheim's score is demanding, and Vosbein takes selections like "My Friends," "Wait" and "Ladies in Their Sensitivities," pieces that have not had a life outside of the context of the show, and brings deserved attention to their strength as songs. The puckish chart for "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir" is sure to bring a smile to your face.
From the rich opening strains of "The Barber and His Wife" to the closing reprise of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," Vosbein has created an imaginative tour de force that has set a new standard for putting a Broadway musical score into a big band jazz setting. (maxfrankmusic.com)
- Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz