Album Review: Gotham from Wayne Alpern

Album:  Gotham
Artist:  Wayne Alpern
Label:  Henri Elkan Music
Website:  https://www.waynealpern.com

Arranger, composer and bandleader Wayne Alpern has made substantial and meaningful contributions to the jazz emporium, and he continues go strong.  His 2024 release Gotham brings together elements of R&B, classic jazz, and sultry Latin swing to enhance a selection of classic standards.  Combined with his melodic sensibilities, the recording pulls the listener into Alpern's world of merrymaking and solemn reflection.

The playful interaction of the horns cleated by a swinging Latin beat along "Desafinado," authored by Antonio Carlos Jobim, filament a lively mood and produce an elevating experience.  Turning reflective and amorous, Wayne's reimagination of "Norwegian Wood," written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, opens with breathy guitar strings punctuated by the balmy riffs of the horns.  The smooth waltzing motion of the rhythmic beats are inviting, calling the listener into the cushiony swells.

Plunging into the symphonic resonance of the horns ballooning across "Anyone Can Whistle," Alpern's reinterpretation of Steve Sondheim's score infuses a catchy R&B groove in the center of the piece, giving the melodic aerials a cool jazz glint.  The leisurely swagger of the horns strolling along "Two Sleepy People," a Hoagy Carmichael tune reworked by Alpern, has a nostalgic clarity gilded in classic jazz trimmings.  Each instrument gleams brightly and moves with a graceful stride.

Though Alpern indulges in reworking, reimagining, recomposing, rearranging, and reinterpretating classic standards, in his hands, original works sound brand new.  He builds new chord patterns from structured constructs.  He extrapolates new harmonic forms beyond what is there.  Ironically, his talent as an improviser is not a skill that can be easily acquired by solely studying music theory but by experiencing the songwriting process, being stimulated by various collaborators.  And yet, Wayne Alpern's life is plentiful in scholarly endeavors.

A native of Detroit immersed in the Motown sound, he studied at Oberlin College, University of Michigan, Yale University, and City University of New York, with additional work at Harvard, Juilliard, Wesleyan, and University of Pennsylvania.  He holds a law degree from Yale Law School and practiced civil litigation for nearly twenty years.  He is President and owner of Henri Elkan Music Publishing, Inc. and a lifetime member of the Society for Music Theory and American Musicological Society. He has lectured extensively in North America, Europe, and Russia.

Creating something new from raw materials is a talent that Alpern has honed extensively and arduously.  As usual, his efforts contribute substantially and meaningfully to the jazz marketplace in merrymaking and deep reflection.

Musicians:
Wayne Alpern - arranger and producer
David Mann - reeds & winds
Tatum Greenblatt - trumpet
Trevor Neumann - trumpet
Michael Davis - trombone
Sara Jacovino - trombone
John Patitucci - bass
Clint de Ganon - drums
Andrew Ezrin - keyboards
Kevin Ramessar - guitar
Antoine Silverman - violin