Early this year, composer and musician Ray Brown released his latest album as a band leader with Ray Brown’s Great Big Band when it dropped I Could Write a Book through Summit Records. Released April 4, Brown and company’s third record (and the group’s final record) is an enjoyable presentation. This even with the 21-song set being largely another covers collection. There are two originals, in the form of ‘Blues for the Two Ks’ and ‘Little Jeanette Leigh’ but everything else in this record is not unique, but just new takes on a series of standards. Those two originals are well worth noting and will each be discussed shortly. Among the covers, one of the most notable is that of Oliver Nelson’s ‘Patterns.’ Each song noted here does its own share to make I Could Write a Book worth hearing. All things considered, they make this compilation a covers set worth hearing at least once and an enjoyable way for Brown and company to call it a career.
I Could Write a Book is not necessarily a presentation about which a person could write a book but is still an enjoyable offering from Ray Brown and his Great Big Band. Each of its 19 covers and its two originals make that collectively clear in their own way. Speaking of those originals, the original, ‘Blues for the Two Ks’ is a fully engaging and entertaining composition. As Brown writes in the album’s liner notes, he “wrote this for my two eldest daughters, Karin and Kelly.” From there he does a wonderful job of explaining which of his fellow musicians performed which parts on the arrangement. Eddie Mendenhall’s opening piano line is a great, laid back bluesy presentation that is expertly complimented by Alan Hall’s steady, light touch on the drums. The equally bluesy performance from the horn players (including the smooth trombone solo of John Gove – which is reminiscent of legendary band leader Tommy Dorsey) add their own great touch. The transition into the brief frenetic bridge conjures thoughts of his daughters’ sometimes high energy. One cannot help but laugh imagining this seeming translation. Saxophonist Marcus Wolfe gets his own time in the limelight, too, offering his own intense solo that is sure to engage listeners. Between the rich solos, the big band flare from the group and just the song’s production, the whole herein makes this original a wonderful highlight for Brown and company’s latest and last album.
‘Little Jeanette Leigh,’ the record’s other original, is engaging and entertaining in its own right. It is the antithesis of ‘Blues for the Two Ks.’ Where the former is a high-energy arrangement, the latter is far more subdued. This is especially intriguing considering that Brown writes of the song’s inspiration, “I wrote this for my youngest daughter right after she was born.” Experiencing the birth of one’s child is a high energy moment. There is so much going on, so to have this song so relaxed and laid back, this must have been after Brown and his wife had collected themselves, perhaps sitting in a recovery room. That is because there is no way either of the parents could have possibly been that relaxed as their daughter was being born. This is a prime example of the importance of liner notes for any jazz album. Having such background takes listeners so much deeper into a record because it helps listeners fully understand how songs came to be. That understanding makes for so much more than just a surface appreciation. It is too bad so few jazz acts out there accept this common logic.
Moving on, the collection in whole is, as noted, largely a covers set, with the two examined songs being the collection’s only originals. Among the most notable of the covers is that of Oliver Nelson’s ‘Patterns.’ Nelson may actually be less well-known than many composers and musicians in the jazz community, so for Brown and company to take on some of his work is a great way to introduce many audiences to his work. For those less familiar, Nelson was both a musician and composer, having played saxophone and clarinet during his life while also composing much music, including ‘Patterns.’ He also arranged music for large group records from the likes of Thelonius Monk, Buddy Rich and Dr. Billy Taylor among others. Brown and company’s take on Nelson’s original is not that much longer than Nelson’s original, clocking in at six minutes, 21 seconds. Nelson’s original, by comparison, runs roughly six minutes, 18 seconds. Brown and company’s take on Nelson’s opus stays largely true to the source material, to that end. The only major difference is that it is much more laid back than the original, which comes across as being far more frenetic in its presentation. The contrast of Nelson and company’s hard bop approach and Brown and company’s more swinging, relaxed rendition makes for plenty of engagement and certainly resultant discussion. To that end, it proves a high point among the record’s featured covers and one more reason to hear this collection. When it and the examined originals are considered alongside the rest of the collection’s featured covers, the whole therein makes I Could Write a Book a work that all jazz fans will agree is worth hearing at least once.
I Could Write a Book, the final big band recording from Ray Brown’s Great Big Band, is an enjoyable new offering from the group and equally good way for the group to go out despite being largely a covers collection. Each of its featured songs make that clear, including its two originals, which are fully immersive in their own right and the covers, not the least of which being that of Oliver Nelson’s ‘Patterns.’ All things considered, I Could Write a Book is not a presentation about which critics could write a book, but is still engaging and entertaining regardless.
I Could Write a Book is available now through Summit Records. More information on this and other titles from Summit Records is available at:
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