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Wayne Bergeron

Review by Steve Frazier (Seattle)
Wayne Bergeron is a former lead trumpet player for trumpet/band leader & legend Maynard Ferguson. Bergeron also has been for many years one of the leading (if not the leading) Hollywood studio trumpet players, and somehow finds time to play with the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat band. If you're listening to a movie or TV show with big, brassy, soaring lead trumpet lines there's a pretty good chance you're hearing Wayne Bergeron leading the trumpet section.

This CD -- Wayne's second under his own name -- is a fine collection of modern big band arrangements with plenty of solo opportunities for this master trumpeter. This is not just an album for trumpet geeks, though: it's a first-rate modern big band ensemble playing on a nice mix of original tunes and great arrangements of standards like "You Go to My Head" and "Georgia". There's even a big band arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov's theme from Scheherazade, which manages to be quite interesting (and not overly cute, as classical-to-jazz arrangements often are). Another great arrangement is the opener, "Torture Without End", which is reminiscent of Latin-jazz-fusion songs like La Fiesta and Spain. If you're a fan of other modern big bands -- like Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (where Bergeron plays lead) -- you'll definitely feel at home with these arrangements (By the way, the CD lists the arrangers/composers of every song with contact information so interested band leaders/educators can acquire the charts for themselves).

If you are a trumpet geek, then one of the highlights of the CD is the duet "Maynard & Waynard," which has Wayne playing a long, loping duet with his mentor Maynard Ferguson, in what was apparently Maynard's last recording before his death last year at age 78. That the two had a huge respect for each other is apparent here -- the two trade licks back and forth for most of a 7-minute track, and it never devolves into a "I can top you" screamfest as these things sometimes do; instead, it's more like a high-powered conversation between two pros.

The rest of Wayne's playing is pretty much impeccable (as always). He's got a big, bright sound on trumpet; plays wonderful relaxed solos on the more mellow flugelhorn, and even on the highest notes is playing with control and precision. He never over-pushes his sound, and thus never loses the musical thread of what he's trying to do.

Highly recommended to fans of the modern big band scene and anyone w/any interest in one of the heirs of the Maynard Ferguson tradition of great jazz solo and lead playing. A great find for casual jazz fans, and a "must" for trumpet fans.

Musicians:

Wayne Bergeron – trumpet/flugelhorn/leader
Trumpets - Maynard Ferguson, Gary Grant, Larry Hall, Larry Lunetta, Warren Luening, Dan Fornero, Deb Wagner, Rick Baptist, Dennis Farias.
Trombones - Andy Martin, Bill Reichenbach, Charlie Loper, Bruce Otto, Alex Iles, Steve Holtman, Charlie Morillas, Craig Goznell.
Saxes - Brandon Fields, Joel Peskin, Dan Higgins, Greg Huckins, Bill Liston, Rusty Higgins, Sal Lozano, Pete Christlieb, Bob Sheppard, John Mitchell.
Bass - Chuck Berghofer, Neil Stubenhaus, Trey Henry, Kevin Axt, Ken Wild.
Piano - Wally Minko, Mike Lang, Christian Jacob.
Drums - Vinnie Colaiuta, Ray Brinker.
Guitar - Dustin Higgins
Percussion - Michito Sanchez

Record label: Concord Records
Catalog # CCD-30032-2

Produced by Gary Grant
Recorded at Martinsound Studios, Alhambra, CA
by Dan Blessinger

PRICE: $15

Endless Torture (Tortura Sin Fin) 8:13
(Wally Minko)
Maynard & Waynard 7:01
(Gordon Goodwin)
Scheherazade 4:53
(Rimsky-Korsakov, arr: Geoff Stradling)
You Go To My Head 6:35
(Coots/Gillespie, arr: Tom Kubis)
Georgia 5:44
(Carmichael/Gorrell, arr: Bill Liston)
Samba Brassiliero 4:54
(Geoff Stradling)
High Clouds And A Good Chance Of Wayne 5:58 (Tom Kubis)
Requiems 6:16
(Joey Sellers)
You Hid What In The Sousaphone? 6:17
(Bill Liston)
The Hipster 7:05
(Dan Higgins)

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