"Pros

An outstanding variety of performances by an incredible saxophone player



Cons

It had to end



The Bottom Line

This is tremendous. Any saxophone player would benefit from hearing it.



Full Review

Many thanks to the co-lead, Lambchops, for adding this CD to the Epinions database.



Mark Colby is a (primarily) tenor saxophonist based in the Chicago area. He teaches at DePaul University and other schools, is successful in the highly competitive jingle market in the Chicago area, performs (not often enough for my taste) and is a clinician for the Selmer Company, a major (some would say THE major) saxophone manufacturer.



I met him about 15 years ago when he was a clinician at a jazz festival I was performing in as part of a community college band. I asked him to take me on as a student, and thanks to his help and teaching approach, I turned (part-time) pro 5 years later.



During this time, I was impressed with his talent, as demonstrated during the lessons and during his public performances which I attended and in the three CDs he issued, Heart of the City in 1994, featuring a band he co-led with keyboardist Frank Caruso, Reunion a 1999 duet with pianist Vince Maggio, and Tenor Reference a 2001 quartet CD recorded live at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago.



Each of these albums was incredible, but didn�t generate as much buzz as they could have, mostly because they were issued on small labels without huge distribution. Aside from his tremendous play, they showed Mark�s dedication to true artistic exploration � to embrace new compositions, players and situations in a quest for self exploration. He told me one time that a true artist has to believe that his best days are ahead and work toward that through study, practice and performance.



He certainly blazes new trails in this CD. For example:



(letters are instrumentation references to the cut list)

- (A) There is a piano-bass-drum quartet, composed of Jim Trompeter on piano along with Mark's regular bass player and drummer, Eric Hochberg and Bob Rummage, respectfully, with strings on two of the cuts.

- (B) A big band background on a third

- (C)A duet piece with Jim McNeely, a GREAT pianist who was a longtime fixture in the Stan Getz quartet.

- (D)Three pieces with a quartet consisting of Mark, McNeely and two Chicago-area stalwarts: Kelly Sill on bass and Joel Spencer on drums. This is all the more interesting because McNeely, Sill and Spencer attended the University of Illinois at about the same time and Sill and Spencer issued an album together several years ago.

- (E)Three additional pieces with a quartet consisting of Rummage and Hochberg, with the addition of Dick Sisto on vibes.

- (F)The final cut is Mark recounting the first time he met Stan, one of his idols.



Mark�s performances are stunning. Great technique (fast or slow), a sound that is always compelling, whether powerful or subtle, creative ideas, plenty of interspersed quotes.



The cuts are as follows:

When it Matters (instrumentation A � strings) This opens with meandering strings and a subtle statement of the melody and then becomes a light yet faster piece with a piano solo followed by Mark playing powerfully until the meandering conculsion.



Only Trust Your Heart (instrumentation E � quartet with vibes) Written by Benny Carter, this pleasant bossa nova sounds like it could have been written by Gilberto. Even with the vibes, Mark�s statement of the melody is reminiscent of Getz�s great work on tunes like The Girl From Ipanema and others. Mark�s solo opens in a relaxed manner, leading to a lyrical example of jazz taste and technique. The vibes really adds an unusual color to the solo and Bob Sisto contributes a relaxed, flowing vibes solo as well.



How Deep Is The Ocean (instrumentation D � quartet with McNeely, Spencer and Sill) This standard opens with a light rubato (flexible tempo) intro, then becomes a medium tempo musing. Spencer�s support is especially tasty as he opens with brushes and transitions to sticks early in Mark�s solo. McNeely follows, with a solo that exhibits his technique and taste, leading to mark�s statement of the melody and a rubato conclusion.



Sometime Ago (instrumentation D) is a beautiful old tune, a waltz, again at a comfortable tempo. Mark opens with the melody, than a solo that builds and then relaxes into a satisfying conclusion. McNeely takes another nice solo, a little more chordal than the previous one, followed by a short but lovely, tasteful bass solo by Sill, tastefully accompanied by Spencer. I really enjoyed this cut, partly because I knew Sill, Spencer and McNeely while we were all at the U of I 30 years ago.



What is a Buddha? (instrumentation D) Mark�s sole composition on this recording is a blistering piece using the chord changes from the standard What Is This Thing Called Love The opener is Mark playing a melody, accompanied only by drums. McNeely has the opening solo, followed by Mark playing furious solo lines, slowing down only to deliver an occasional quote. Spencer contributes a drum solo for a couple of choruses and then Mark leads the quartet out.



Sea Journey (instrumentation E) Written by Chick Corea, this is more of a vamp than the other pieces. Mark�s rendition of the melody is followed by a lengthy and very active vibes solo, then a lengthy and active bass solo by Eric Hochberg. Mark opens subtle for a few measures and then exhibits his powerful tone and super technique. The lines he constructs over this tune are stunning. Then, he leads the quartet out through the melody into a vamped outro.



Out of Focus (instrumentation E) Written by vibist Gary Burton, this is a much more melodic composition than the Corea piece. Faster but not nearly as furious as What is a Buddha, Mark opens with plenty of tasty notes, a quote or two, and then finishes followed by an extended vibes solo, leading to a drum solo by Rummage. Mark then leads it out.



Give and Take (instrumentation A � strings) This was written by Chris Madsen, one of Mark�s former students at DePaul U. Mark opens with a darker tone on this relaxed piece, reminiscent of long, tall Dexter, but then brightens up a bit leading to a slightly faster bossa nova section in the middle, with Mark leading the band into a peak, assisted by the strings, followed by an understated conclusion.



Blue Getz Blues (instrumentation B � Big band) This piece by Gigi Gryce, arranged by Chris Madsen, opens with a solo cadenza, leading into a driving blues. Mark�s solo starts solidly, then he builds with the band building behind him. There a couple of nice stop time sections in the arrangement, with brass and sax soli sections leading to Mark�s well-stated conclusion.



Goodbye (instrumentation C � duet with McNeely on piano) Written by Gordon Jenkins, this opens with a brief rubato statement by McNeely. Soon joined by Mark, they maintain the rubato feel, together, then McNeely alone, then rejoined by Mark to conclude the piece.



Speaking of Stan Is exactly that. Mark talks about the time he met Stan Getz, for about three minutes.



Tribute albums, like this, can be bogged down in players trying to mimic the play or style or feel of the player to which tribute is intended. Here, Mark is absolutely his own unique musical self, while exhibiting the great respect he has for Stan Getz.



The CD is well produced, with excellent sound quality and balance.



This is incredible playing. Mark is every bit as good as any of the players on the major labels. Perhaps his decision to settle in Chicago and not tour may have contributed to his recording for smaller labels. However, smaller labels also mean more artistic control for the artist. Mark is a co-producer on this CD, and I�m not sure that he would have been given an opportunity to do a project as varied and far-reaching as this one on a major label.



This album is a treasure. It should be listened to by any saxophonist. 5 stars is not enough.



It is available from Amazon.com and CDBaby.com"
- John Temmerman - Epinions.com,  Nov, 2005

"There are a lot of tribute albums out there. Most of them are simply a collage of songs played by another musician, but somehow butchered in a fashion that makes the listener question: “Why don’t I just listen to the original?” This is a generation that enjoys riding on the coattails of established musicians to make a buck. I think it is worth noting that an Amazon.com search brought up four different tributes to Norah Jones. 1. She’s not dead 2. She’s twenty-six. This is not a review to slam the establishment, but more to applaud Mark Colby. Why? Because Mark Colby’s Speaking of Stan, a tribute soon to be released to Stan Getz, is a project that blasts the modern tribute album. This one is original and honest. Not to mention that, well, Mark can play.

First, we have to talk about lineup. How can we not; the tenor virtuoso is joined by New York pianist and legend Jim McNealy. The sideman earns his check on “What is a Buddha,” an up-tempo tune based on the changes to “What is this Thing Called Love.” The precision of his playing is a strong compliment to bassist Kelly Sill and Chicago Jazz favorite Joel Spencer on drums. This rhythm section has all the communication and musicality of a group that’s been in the trenches together for years. The great thing about this lineup is that they don’t sound like a Getz album clone. More like a group that Stan Getz would have really dug.

The repertory of this project is diverse without losing its central focus. What’s really noteworthy is that they are not all “Stan Getz” tunes. The CD starts off with “When it Matters,” a wonderful original that features a full string section. From the lush noir intro, you know that you are in for something different. The CD winds through an interesting trail of songs including originals and several great standards including “How Deep is the Ocean,” “Sometime Ago,” and “Sea Journey.” The last track, “Speaking of Stan,” is truly interesting. It’s simply a narrative from Colby of his inspiration for the project and other insights.

Here’s the bottom line: Getz’s are huge shoes to fill. All of this is great, but how does Colby stand up to the legend of Stan Getz? Well… Colby definitely holds his own on a daring and adventurous project. I must also say that I was not left with the sensation to turn off the CD and put on all of my old Getz sides. With that said, I can’t help but dust off Getz Au Go Go after hearing his rendition of “Only Trust Your Heart.” He might have even made Astud Gilberto proud.

—Michael Barton
"
- Michael Barton - Chicago Jazz Magazine,  Mar, 2005