Jazz, Period. - Jugular w/ Kevin Dean, Al McLean, Mike Rud

Recorded at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, December 18, 2010

"Jugular"
Composed by Kevin Dean

Kevin Dean - Trumpet
Al McLean - Saxophone
Mike Rud - Guitar

This memorable hard-Bop tune is laid bare in a fine trio performance. Montreal's best Jazz musicians make great work of trumpeter Kevin Dean's original, which stands on its own without bass and drums. Of course the able accompaniment of Mike Rud on guitar provides a solidly swinging foundation for the enterprise, which makes us wonder why we ever needed bass and drums anyways...

Kevin Dean and Al McLean are beautifully balanced on the session. Dean, a founding faculty member of the Schulich School of Music's Jazz program at McGill University, is known for his 'straight-down-the-barrel' Hard Bop aesthetic, and a refined, traditional delivery. Nuance and chops are deftly packaged into a compact and purposeful oeuvre; Bebop at its highest level. We hear echos of Lee Morgan and Clifford Brown when Kevin plays, but he remains vibrant and relevant, setting himself apart, and painting a unique musical picture with a traditional palette.

McLean, on the other hand, is harder to both define, and to contain, with an ever-overflowing exuberance of style and technique. Al McLean wears a contemporary 'coat of many colors' (and it is gleaming gold here), as he easily adapts to different instruments and styles with an earnest joie-de- vivre. This is not mere sampling or referencing, which is what we have come to expect from young artists, rather, a more primordial summoning of the spirit - of the 1927 Buescher gold plated tenor, of Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster... Al McLean is able to sleekly conform to the style and players at hand, not loosing his voice, but drawing on different parts of it.

This intrinsic understanding of a deeply curious artist makes McLean believable, and his musical storytelling more than plausible.

Together, the musicians arrive at a useful creative tension, a balance of two opposing, but complimentary forces. Comfort be damned, this performance breathes and shimmers.

Both musicians are playing on vintage horns that are not their own, adding an element of instability, and historical context: McLean on the aforementioned Buescher, and Dean on a 1949 Besson Paris Brevette trumpet.

Kevin Dean is professor, and a founding faculty member of the Jazz Department at McGill University's Schulich School of Music (http://www.mcgill.ca/music/).

More on Kevin Dean:
http://kevindeanmusic.com/
http://people.mcgill.ca/kevin.dean/

Read more about Al McLean here:
http://www.almclean.com/about.html

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kevin Dean
• Al McLean
• Mike Rud
• Lee Morgan
• Clifford Brown
• John Coltrane
• Dexter Gordon
• Ben Webster
• Coleman Hawkins
• Lester Young

[wideangleman]

Thank you Mike, you sound great.

Randy

[genesis344]

Is there any way I can get a hold of this chart?!

[wideangleman]

Hi,

This is Kevin Dean's composition, you can contact him at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. The faculty of music phone number is:

514.398.4535

I'm sure it's possible to make some arrangements with Kevin for the chart.

Regards,

Randy Cole

[jazzforJamie]

What a bop tune, great Kevin composition!

[gabe1261]

I would love to get the notes to that song, anyone know how I could get a hold of them?

[greenguy1017]

Great job on a great song! I'd have to say I like the sax solo better the trumpet. I really liked the way the guitar entered in its second little solo.

[pjsanchez896]

It like just when you think Al McLean can't be topped Kevin Deans comes in swinging just as hard too

[MrJazzalive]

Wow. Very nice.

[MKalebic]

Hey, do you know anything about the gear the guitarist is using? That is exactly the kind of tone I'm looking to get. Thank you!

[MMJ420Gardener]

love the trumpet solo he had great ideas! sax player was great aswell,

i love this because i can use this as a backing track to play along with on my drums! thanks for not putting in a rhythm section :D

[mississippiowan]

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

[AlexFrank5]

This sounds just wonderful, it is truly inspiring to see that Mr.Dean and Mr.McLean never stop improving, even at their level of mastery. Awesome stuff!

[micodoso]

Ouais! Cette mélodie reste en mémoire comme un bon vin qui s'étire en bouche. Merci messieurs! Mico