NIKOS CHATZITSAKOS TINY BIG BAND 2

February 15, 2024

NIKOS CHATZITSAKOS

TINY BIG BAND 2

Independent Label

Nikos Chatzitsakos, double bass/arranger/bandleader; Wilfie Williams, piano; Samuël Bolduc, drums; Gabriel Nekrutman, baritone saxophone; Art Baden, tenor saxophone; Salim Charvet, alto saxophone; Robert Mac Vega Dowda, cornet; Joey Curreri, trumpet/flugelhorn; Armando Vergara, trombone; Alexandria DeWalt & Eleni Ermina Sofou, vocals.

The band hits their stride on track #3, “Fly Little Bird Fly” a Donald Byrd composition. Wilfie Williams takes off in flight on the 88-keys, with fingers on the piano showcasing the fluttering wings of a bird. Salim takes a wild improvisational solo on alto saxophone, followed by Joey Curreri on trumpet. The horns step aside to let drummer Samuel Bolduc soak up the spotlight during a brief but inspired solo. “Where or When” is sung by Eleni Ermina Sofou. She has a smooth, pleasant delivery, but she doesn’t really ‘swing,’ which is something you must feel in your gut and cannot always be taught. However, the band swings this one with strong determination. I enjoyed the horn section with that baritone saxophone building a strong basement for them to stand upon. I think I would have over-dubbed the very end where the saxophone solo fade could have been stronger. The other vocalist on this project, Alexandria DeWalt, swings “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” with her Blossom Dearie voice and style. One of the blessings of being a stylist is that you have a sound easily recognizable and different from the rest of the singers on the set. DeWalt accomplishes this. Joey Curreri takes a trumpet solo egged on by Bolduc’s brisk drumsticks. It was nice to hear Gabriel Nekrutman’s baritone saxophone also take a solo and those background horns were swinging so hard, they put fire to his feet.

The band slows the tempo on the Duke Pearson tune, “You Know I Care” featuring bandleader Nikos Chatzitsakos on his upright bass. During his arrangement, Chatzitsakos applies a ‘slide’ technique with the horn harmonics. Armando Bergara’s trombone solo is quite beautiful. On track #7, the familiar “Windmills of Your Mind” is a perfect tune to showcase the lovely voice of Eleni Ermina Sofou. Art Baden adds his tenor saxophone solo to the mix. I thought the horn harmonies arranged during Sofou’s sweet delivery were a little overbearing. Still, she held her own, strong in presenting the melody and unobstructed by the arrangement leaning towards the Avant-garde. I didn’t mind that emotional arrangement of dissonance after she sang, but during her solo presentation, I think she deserved the same respect given to other horn soloists who step out front. Perhaps just a nudge in the mix room could have lifted her voice above the fray.

Nikos Chatzitsakos brings us a small group that sounds as plush and well-rounded as a big band. He has creatively arranged these familiar standard songs, with a taste of the Avant-garde and a sprinkle of contemporary jazz to refresh the old standards. His musicians bring zest, youth, and personality to the project.

Dee Dee McNeil

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