ZACK FOLEY

SILENT BOOMER X

Jazzheads Records

Zack Foley, voice; Frank Wagner, bass; C.J. Everett, drums.

Vocalist, Zack Foley offers us an all standard repertoire in a very non-standard way.  His voice is smooth as a velvet jacket.  However, it’s Foley’s ability to improvise and turn his voice into a vocal saxophone that is impressive.

“Silent Boomer X” is the title of Foley’s album and it’s a nod to the band’s generational spread.  The drummer, C. J. Everett was born in the 1940s, the so-called Silent Generation.  Frank Wagner, the bassist, was born in the 1960s, a generation referred to as Baby Boomers and Zack Foley was born in the ‘70s, which is the Generation X category. When you put those three together, you come up with “Silent Boomer X.”

“I wanted to get closer to the sound of saxophone-based trio music, which I adore.  Sonny Rollis Trio, Chris Speed Trio, Maria Grand Trio; I love the openness of that sound.  It always feels right,” Zack Foley explains his style and vocal purpose in this production.

What he does is vocally difficult and challenging.  To be successful in performing with a chord-less trio, no piano or guitar, you should be pitch perfect as a vocalist.  I was eager to hear how he approached these songs. They open with Irving Berlin’s “Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee” a swinging little number with Frank Wagner’s bass walking briskly beneath the melody Foley sings with Everett’s drums holding the tempo in perfect place. I am impressed with Foleys tenor vocal tone, and his comfortable swing attitude.

They present “Don’t Blame Me” as a medium tempo shuffle.  On both songs, Zack Foley improvises, using his voice like a horn.  It’s impressive how secure he is with the melody and chord changes, knowing just where to place his improvisational notes.  I had never heard the Irving Berlin tune called “I used to be Colorblind” and Foley and his trio introduced it to me, once again swinging briskly.  Wagner takes a bass solo to show off his own creativity with string-scats on his double bass. “Old Folks” is one of my favorite old standard songs. I noticed Foley plays with the lyrics, changing many of them to suit the storyline he wants to share. It’s actually an homage to his father.

This is an unusual trio album with just voice, bass and drums.  It highlights the skills and character of Zack Foley as a jazz vocalist   It also spotlights Wagner and Everett on bass and drums.  But half- way through the album, I find myself longing to hear some chords in the arrangements, a jazz piano accompaniment and improvisation, or a guitar in the rhythm section.  However, I thought this production was brave, surprisingly creative, and entertaining just the way it is.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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