George Forrest’s ‘It’s a Blue World’ opens this trip down memory lane of a quartet album from Joe “Mags” Magnarelli.
First recorded by Glenn Miller in the late-1930s the music endures. I’m thinking of Warren Vaché’s treatment on 2000’s What Is There To Say? for instance.
The answer to that rhetorical question passing on the baton from Vaché to Mags is lots.
That slightly laboured version had guitar on it. Not this.
But it’s got a far better tempo and thanks to brisk drumming from the Tony Williams and Elvin Jones influenced straightaheader Rodney Green begins the album admirably.
Magnarelli is no stranger to Danish jazz indie SteepleChase whose albums for the label include 2022’s New York-Osaka Junction that had Gary Smulyan on baritone featured. On 2018’s Magic Trick bassist Ben Wolfe steered a steady path.
Magnarelli, 65, who hails from Syracuse, New York State attended the State University of New York at Fredonia, became part of New York City’s jazz scene, joining Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra in 1987. He went on to play with Brother Jack McDuff, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Harry Connick Jr. and others and co-founded the New York Hard Bop Quintet in 1991.
His debut as a leader was Why Not in 1994 with the Washingtons and Renee Rosnes in a stellar set-up for Criss Cross. Magnarelli has taught at Julliard and his influences include Fats Navarro and Kenny Dorham.
Magnarelli tune ‘Veneration’ is among the choices of tunes here as is Karl Suessdorf’s 40s tune ‘Moonlight in Vermont’ covered by Walt Weiskopf on a Christmas album in recent years.
The only player of the Concord quartet I have heard live is double bassist Paul Sikivie caught playing with singer Cécile McLorin Salvant at Ronnie Scott’s circa For One To Love. He’s a persuasive player – hear him at his measured best on Magnarelli tune ‘Brooklyn’. Sikivie meshes well with pianist Victor Gould and Green. The pianist and drummer worked together on Gould’s 2019 album Thoughts Become Things.
‘Patti’ is lovely, the kind of tune that while a Magnarelli original you might find on a Tom Harrell album. Also on Concord there is a version of Jerome Kern’s ‘Look for the Silver Lining’ that has engaged brushwork from Green and a bright and perky solo from Gould.
And the pianist is at his best on the characterful version of Monk’s ‘Ruby My Dear’ that has a wonderful solo from Magnarelli that proves particularly warm and evocative.
He uses a mute on his Roy Hargrove tribute that comes later and also chooses to cover another George Forrest standard the Kismet song ‘Baubles, Bangles and Beads’ which was a take on a scherzo from a Borodin string quartet.
‘Concord,’ the title track, is a gospelly Magnarelli original and a feelgood way to draw an album that’s perfect to pluck out for dreamy Sunday listening any week of the year – any year to come – to a close.
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