Brian Lynch: UNSUNG HEROES

[ghost of miles]

I've been cleaning out my colleague's side of the office and unearthed this recent release--anybody hear it yet? An ode to Joe Gordon, Tommy Turrentine, and others... hoping to give it a spin before I go on the air later this afternoon.

[Dan Gould]

Sounds like a follow up to his Sharp Nine release, Tribute to the Trumpet Masters. I am definitely interested in this one, thanks for mentioning it.

[JSngry]

Don't know about this one, but Lynch himself has historically turned up in interesting places, ranging from Eddie Palmieri to Monday Michiru to James White/Chance to Art Blakey to...everywhere, it seems. I've never heard him sound bad or disengaged. That kind of openness is always going to be ok with me.

[Dan Gould]

Sounds like a really interesting project in that there are two more volumes available for download (one of which is alternate takes, not new music), plus video and "music minus one" tracks for all instruments, which should be pretty cool for aspiring musicians.

Also got a strong review in JazzTimes and 5 stars in DB - for whatever that is worth.

[Ted O'Reilly]

I remember a concert at the Internationales Jazzfestival Bern, maybe 1989, when trumpeters appearing that year had a set of just them with a rhythm section.

My memory's a little foggy, but onstage were guys like Clark Terry, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Conte Candoli, maybe Warren Vache, AND Brian Lynch, who was there with Art Blakey I think.

Lynch was the least-well known, but I swear on Satchmo's grave that Brian wiped the floor with all those heavies. Played faster, slower, higher, lower, simply better than anyone else. Somewhere, there's video proof of this -- the concert was shown on Swiss TV.

[JSngry]

"music minus one" tracks for all instruments,

Little known bit of perhaps useless information - many of the Jamey Aebersold records that people buy to play along with were recorded with Jamey playing in an isolation booth while the rhythm section accompanied him. They could hear him, but he was not being recorded.

A notable exception to this, allegedly, was the Woody Shaw play-along, because it is Woody himself that is said to have been playing in the isolation booth. Whether or not he was actually recorded, I don't know. But if he was (and if the "allegedly" part of this scenario is in fact true, there's a "lost session" to be had there...

[Ted O'Reilly]

"Jamey Aebersold" and "Music Minus One" are not the same thing, right? The ways of producing them is likely quite different.

I remember having a trumpeter's version of an MMO with Clark Terry and Bob Wilber, with the trumpet removed for students, but then buying a Classic Jazz release of the identical session with CT's horn audible.

[JSngry]

"Jamey Aebersold" and "Music Minus One" are not the same thing, right? The ways of producing them is likely quite different.

Different brands, different foci, but same concept - a "real player" is absent from the record and you take their place in the comfort of your own home (or in some circumstances, your own gig!)

I would imagine that methods of production for MMO varied by project, some had the "real player" (or singer) actually there, some not. But the Aebersolds, I'm pretty sure they always have somebody in the studio playing along. That "feel" is a big part of what made them unique when they first hit the market.

[Chuck Nessa]

First heard Lynch with Horace. The music was well after the "sell by" date and he was impressive since Horace is timeless.

[jlhoots]

Unsung Heroes is a great CD IMHO.

[B. Goren.]

Two years ago I was in New York and I went to listen to Phil Woods' quintet. Who stole the show was Brian Lynch. Great trumpeter.

Edited July 12, 2011 by B. Goren.

[cymbalgroove]

Two years ago I was in New York and I went to listen to Phil Woods' quintet. Who stole the show was Brian Lynch. Great trumpeter.

I've heard clips from this record and need to get it. It sounds great. There are some youtube videos I believe of the session. The whole band is strong, Vincent Herring, Alex Hofmann, Rob Sneiderman, David Wong and Pete Van Nostrand are very strong players.

[Tom 1960]

Glad to come across some positive reviews on "Unsung Heroes" and "Tribute To The Trumpet Masters". I've thought about getting them at some point. I really admire Lynch's session work on various releases he did for the Reservoir Music label. He might be one of my favorite trumpeters, at least among the living.

[Lazaro Vega]

Louis Smith's "Wetu," "Lover Come Back to Me" with altered changes, is one tough composition -- Charlie Rouse pauses during his solo on the original to, seemingly, get back on track. Lynch nails it, wicked tempo and all. Don't know any other recordings of that beast. There are several previously unrecorded Tommy Turrentine compositions here, and a couple by Idrees Sulieman. Don Sickler may have had a hand in pushing them on Lynch, but if you check out the on-line liner notes he talks personally about his time in NYC hanging with Tommy Turrentine, and how creative T remained in the years after he could no longer play trumpet. So this one's a bit different than Lynch's previous "in the tradition" recordings in that it not only sheds light on "unsung heroes" but tangibly extends their body of work to the larger listening public.

[Dan Gould]

I really want to get this one soon, hearing good things about it and enjoying Brian's work for years. We'll see if I can wait for my birthday/anniversary in September or will break down and get it for myself sooner.

[Tom 1960]

Glad to come across some positive reviews on "Unsung Heroes" and "Tribute To The Trumpet Masters". I've thought about getting them at some point. I really admire Lynch's session work on various releases he did for the Reservoir Music label. He might be one of my favorite trumpeters, at least among the living.

Add to me to the list recommending "Unsung Heroes". I now own it. Hang in there, Dan!

[Dan Gould]

For those interested, around the time the CDs were recorded (2009) Brian took the band into Small's. I recently bought the FLAC download for Volumes 1 and 2 direct from Brian's website and I am now streaming/recording the Small's gig as a third and fourth disc of the group.

Listen for yourself here.