Gust Spenos Quartet - Swing Theory (review)
Gust Spenos Quartet - Swing Theory (Swing Theory LLC)
reviewed by Michael Macomber
Hearing musicians play for the sheer fun of it is always a kick. And the Gust Spenos Quartet kicks like a mule. Deans of their own College of Musical Knowledge, tenor saxman Gust Spenos, pianist Marvin Chandler, bassist Frank Smith, and drummer Kenny Phelps lay down some deliciously vintage sounds on Swing Theory. Ably assisted by special guests Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Schneider, and Everett Greene, the Quartet takes on ten standards and two originals, addressing each tune with verve and style.
Eric Schneider’s warm and inviting clarinet on Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” is a gas. Marvin Chandler’s piano solo is also quite hip. Wycliffe Gordon slides in for some fantastic trombone work, while drummer Kenny Phelps keeps everything swingin’ along. “Cheek To Cheek” is an up tempo toe-tapper, thanks to fabulous horn interplay courtesy of Schneider on alto sax, Gordon on trombone, and leader Gust Spenos on tenor sax.
The two originals, “Looking For Someplace To Be” and “Nature of Love,” fit beautifully into this classic set. Everett Greene sings his brother Larry’s soulful, touching ballad, “Looking For Someplace To Be,” with heart rending sincerity. “The Nature Of Love,” authored by pianist Marvin Chandler, is another slow, moving number, once again vocalized magnificently by Greene.
Following in the footsteps of such greats as Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald, the Gust Spenos Quartet performs the kind of music that produces an instant smile. Swing Theory, with its jaunty Mountain Greenery, its swaying At Long Last Love, its head boppin’ Tangerine, is a joy indeed.
