Russ Reinberg's beautiful tone and sensual, swinging clarinet style infuse an all-star mainstream jazz quartet with emotion and energy, making "Blue Scarlett" perfect either for close listening or romantic background music.

15 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Swing/Big Band, BLUES: Mellow Blues



Details:
Russ Reinberg brings a fresh sound, an individual style, and excellent technique to both jazz and the clarinet. While his tone and training are classical, his playing is unadulterated, swinging jazz. Russ has performed at Carnegie Hall, as a guest on numerous television shows, at concerts, and with many top jazz musicians. Even so, Ken Borgers, for years the program director at one of the premier jazz radio stations in the world, KKJZ, once joked that Russ is "the best kept secret in jazz". We hope this album will change that.

In 1988, Russ received an invitation to perform with the nucleus of the Concord Jazz All Stars: Tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, pianist Dave McKenna, and drummer Jake Hanna. The bass player was Dave Stone. As Russ recalls, "Dave's playing in that concert was simply outstanding. I decided to call him the very next time something came up. I had no idea it would be fifteen years later!" Dave remembered Russ and urged him to record an album. Dave has toured with Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Harry James, and Nancy Wilson. He has recorded with Louie Belson, Howard Alden and George Van Eps, Jack Sheldon, and Tommy Newsom, and has appeared in countless Broadway shows and jazz concerts.

Jake Hanna was in Europe at the time of the recording session so Dave suggested Ray Brinker play drums. It is doubtful any drummer could have added more. Just listen to Ray's brush work. Ray has performed with, among many others, Maynard Ferguson, Michel LeGrand, Joe Pass, Jack Sheldon, Les Brown, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Shure, Joe Williams, Donald Byrd, Max Bennett, Mose Allison, Johnny Mathis, and Pat Benatar. He has performed on countless television shows and movies.

There was never a question of whom Russ wanted on guitar: Larry Koonse. Russ says, "I once had a quintet and Howard Alden was the guitar player but he moved to New York. My good friend and mentor, [pianist and horn player] Dick Cary, recommended Larry. I couldn't have found a better replacement for Howard and have worked with Larry ever since." Larry Koonse is a veteran of more than seventy albums and has toured with Mel Torme, Terry Gibbs, and Bob Brookmeyer, performed at Carnegie Hall and, since 1989, has been on the faculty at California Institute of the Arts.

The group swings-especially on Russ' original tune, Junior, on Limehouse Blues, and on Sweet Lorraine. Russ' own tunes, Never Enough, Blue Scarlett, and the Barris-Clifford standard, I Surrender Dear, will rivet you. Stardust, The Very Thought Of You, and Singin' The Blues convey an emotional impact lacking in many of today's instrumental recordings. It's really a heck of an album.