Track Listing
1. Underdog
2. Aja
3. Time Was
4. Sanford and Son
5. Popeye
6. Baretta
7. Wild Wild West
8. Purple Gazelle
9. God Give Me Strength
10. Odd Couple, The
11. Powerhouse
12. Breakfast at Tiffany's
13. Little Lulu
| Details | | Producer: | Ted Kooshian | | Distributor: | Allegro Corporation (Dist | | Recording Type: | Studio | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel: Ted Kooshian (piano); Jeff Lederer (slide whistle, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Tom Hubbard (bass instrument); Warren Odze (drums, drum); Scott Neumann (drums, bells).
Audio Mixer: Jim Clouse.
Recording information: Park West Studios (12/07/2008-12/08/2008).
Photographer: Jackie Henderson.
Arranger: Ted Kooshian.
Pianist Ted Kooshian picks up where he left off on his second CD with his Standard Orbit Quartet, offering novel interpretations of themes from cartoons, television series, movies, plus a few familiar jazz and pop compositions. The lineup hasn't changed much, with Jeff Lederer on tenor and soprano saxes, bassist Tom Hubbard, and drummer Warren Odze, though Scott Neumann takes over on drums on a few numbers. Those who grew up in the '60s will remember UNDERDOG (starring Wally Cox as the voice of the canine superhero), yet this campy interpretation of its theme song is centered around a lively Afro-Cuban beat. "Wild Wild West" is recast as a loping gospel number, featuring Lederer's passionate, preaching tenor. Everyone who loves the Looney Tunes cartoons of the '40s, '50s, and '60s is likely familiar with Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse," which was orchestrated and used in excerpts by Carl Stalling. Best compared with Scott's original recording, Kooshian's hilarious, stripped-down arrangement gets into a bit of stride, some pseudo-classical and avant-garde, along with many shifts in the tempo. The dissonant setting of "Popeye" showcases the leader's angular piano against Lederer's playful soprano sax, then alters direction into an ominous vamp. Henry Mancini's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is fairly straight-ahead, with lush tenor, elegant piano, and brushwork suggesting an early morning stroll in Manhattan on an autumn day. Likewise, the take of Duke Ellington's "Purple Gazelle" swings like mad in African-flavored swing, with Lederer's superb soprano dominating the track. Ted Kooshian has obviously found a winning formula with this band, and if they continue to work together, they should suffer no shortage of songs to uncover for their mostly madcap experiments.
Editorial Reviews
Kooshian puts his crew through the paces on a handful of cartoon, film and TV themes...tossing in a few off-beat pop and jazz standards for kicks.
JazzTimes
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