BRENT LAIDLER

HIDDEN GEMS

Independent Label

Brent Laidler, guitar/composer; Jamie Newman, organ; Richard “Sleepy” Floyd, drums; Scott Pazara, bass; Mark Buselli, trumpet/flugelhorn; Ned Boyd, alto saxophone/flute.

Brent Laidler searched through a horde of fake books and soundtrack scores, going back to tunes written in the 1920s, to find music he could reshape into hip compositions for this album called “Hidden Gems.”   He decided to search for and find these hidden gems during the COVID lockdown.  His idea was to rework them into a more modern presentation and use them to create new compositions.  However, Laidler assures us these are not contrafacts.  He has written all new melodies and reharmonized some of the chord structures, making these songs different from the originals he researched.

He begins with “Haba Verde” letting the organ of Jamie Newman lead the way and deliver the melody. The arrangement is steeped in Latin Rhythms.  The horns dance happily and harmonically.  When Brent Laidler follows on his guitar, he improvises across his modified changes that are extracted from a popular Muppet movie song.  The name “Habe Verda” translates to Green Bean, a reference to Kermit the frog.

Laidler prides himself on being an entrepreneur.  He attended Western Michigan University and majored in Music Education with a minor in Composition. He also studied instrument repair, eventually opening and owning his own instrument repair business. Recently, he celebrated twenty-one years as an independent businessman.

Laidler hosts a one-hour jazz radio show that airs every Saturday night on WBAA.  Additionally, Laidler is the administrator for the Tony Zamora Scholarship, a cash award based on jazz performances by Lafayette area high school students in Indiana and he’s a jazz clinician. In between all that busy work, Brent Laidler has recorded three albums as a bandleader.

“Ballad For B”  features an introduction reminiscent of the Quincy Jones arrangement on the top of “Secret Garden,” when Barry White’s deep, sexy baritone voice speaks love words above the song’s ‘groove’ introduction.  “Ballad For B” is a pretty ballad, also with a Latin flair, and featuring  Mark Buselli’s horn. Then, the arrangement spotlights Newman’s organ with Laidler strumming guitar rhythms beneath the solos.  When Brent finally steps into the spotlight, his solo is brief and somewhat shy.  I wish he had taken more time and been more aggressive with his solo.  He seems to give much more time and attention to his ‘dream team’ of midwestern jazz cats.  I agree, they are definitely gifted musicians and do a wonderful job of interpreting his inspired compositions. Still, during this arrangement I long for more of the bandleader.

Laidler makes up for his short solo on the ballad when he gives us a rich solo on “Gemani.”   This song was inspired by a transcription in one of the solo anthologies by Cannonball Adderly.  I loved the swinging rendition of a tune called “Bop Like” that was based on a dark ballad with an odd 44-bar form. The group swings hard and drummer Richard “Sleepy” Floyd shines in the spotlight on this one!

These are a group of fresh tunes, reshaped from music history into fresh new pieces of music by Brent Laidler. It’s an interesting concept brought to life by the excellence of these musicians.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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