Allen Vizzutti - Ritzville

[GA Russell]

This looks interesting.

Trumpeter/Composer Allen Vizzutti

To Release "Ritzville"

October 16

Vizzutti Is Joined by Special Guests

Chick Corea & Stanley Clarke

Plus

Pianists Darrell Grant & Laura Vizzutti,

Guitarist Mike Miller, & Others

September 27, 2012

Trumpet virtuoso Allen Vizzutti has enjoyed a prolific career as performer and educator in both the jazz and classical fields since his early days with Woody Herman's big band and his notable four-year tenure with Chick Corea. The release of Vizzutti's superb new CD Ritzville, on October 16, is an especially welcome event because the in-demand trumpeter/composer has recorded all too infrequently as a leader. Ritzville brings the focus back to his primary passion of "performing music I love with my jazz group."

Contributions from Vizzutti's marquee-name friends Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea are featured on the boppish "Ticklish" and the up-tempo ballad "Amara" respectively, while the rest of the band includes old friends (the guitarist Mike Miller) and new (Portland-based pianist Darrell Grant) performing an array of standout Vizzutti originals, most of them written specifically for the Ritzville session. Pianist Laura Vizzutti, the trumpeter's wife, is showcased on her namesake "Laura's Blues," one of four selections on which an 11-piece string section was added.

Recorded in Seattle, where Vizzutti has been based since 1990, Ritzville contains so many stylistic crossings, from groove-tight fusion updates to string orchestrations to acoustic ballads, the leader became concerned during the recording of it that the music was more varied than he had intended. Whether by serendipity or design, however, the songs fit together seamlessly, adding up to an invigorating statement by a multifaceted artist who is in command in all stylistic situations.

Author of the definitive trumpet method books that bear his name, Allen Vizzutti started on the horn with lessons from his father Lido, a self-taught trumpeter. As he was growing up in Missoula, Montana, young Allen played in school bands and, at 16, won a concerto competition that sent him to Interlochen, where he was awarded first chair in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. He went on to study at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.

After a period of gaining bandstand experience ranging from Ice Follies shows to Bach chamber orchestras, Vizzutti had to choose between two tempting offers: lead trumpeter with Woody Herman and first chair trumpet with the San Antonio Symphony. He became a member of Herman's Thundering Herd.

"The big band experience, which so many young players now never get, is so valuable in so many ways, and not just musical," said Vizzutti. "We had people like Dizzy Gillespie and Tony Bennett and Marian McPartland joining us all the time. You got to see how great musicians handled themselves, handled rehearsals, bantered with the audience. You learned about timing, about stretching out musical moments to maximize their impact."

Vizzutti met Chick Corea during rehearsals for a piece the pianist wrote for Herman. Corea later invited Vizzutti to join him for a three-month tour with his 13-piece ensemble, featuring strings and horns. The trumpeter also played with Corea sextets featuring Joe Farrell, Dave Liebman, and Steve Kujala and is featured on three Corea albums: Secret Agent (1978), Tap Step (1980), and Touchstone (1982).

In 1978, Vizzutti moved to Los Angeles. He joined Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, and played on more than 150 film and TV soundtracks as well as albums by Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Prince. His own unique jazz-fusion band Red Metal made two recordings and performed regularly in L.A. and on tour over the next eight years. After his relocation to Seattle, he recorded several albums as a leader, including Trumpet Summit (1995) and Skyrocket (1996), both for Summit. It's to be hoped that Ritzville marks the beginning of a new period of recording activity for this charismatic and virtuosic artist.

"I'm very grateful for my musically rich life," says Vizzutti. "It's exciting and a lot of fun to continue to improve as a player and performer. Ritzville is a calling card for a fresh new musical chapter about to unfold."

Photo: Lido Vizzutti

Web Site:

www.vizzutti.com

[John Tapscott]

I have Vizutti on this Direct-to-Disc LP from 1978. Cost me $20 at the time (ouch!) Allen plays a virtuoso solo on his own composition, Fire Dance, which is the the 1st track on the LP. Guess they figured they'd get the tough one out of the way first.(Those d to d Lp's must have been brutal to record). Anyway, Allen plays wonderfully on it.

BTW, in one of the Herman bios, it's told that Herman wanted to get rid of Vizutti soon after he joined the Herd. Seems Woody wanted a strong player in the lead chair rather than a virtuoso soloist. But the other trumpet players recognized how great Allen was and begged Woody to keep him on, even adjusting their playing a bit so Allen seemed stronger than he was. Soon, Allen was giving Woody the power from the lead chair that he wanted, though it was a bit of a learning curve.

Edited September 28, 2012 by John Tapscott

[GA Russell]

Ritzville is now up at Spotify for you to listen to.

I am moving, and I have been busy packing, so I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet.

[GA Russell]

I've been listening to this, and I'm glad it's up at Spotify for you to give it a try and see if you disagree with me.

To follow up on John's point, I am of two minds. Vizzutti is terrific here. Based on this, he ought to be a household name.

But it's not until the final few tracks that the album starts to swing. For most of the album, the beat is leaden, and the electric bass guitar is too loud. Whether the lack of swing is due to the drummer or the compositions I can't say, but I suppose the leader takes responsibility for the album regardless.

[sidewinder]

Many years ago, a group of youngsters I was with had a chat with him back stage at a UK Woody Herman gig in Bristol. His trumpet technique that night was pretty amazing, to say the least !

[GA Russell]

I listened to this in the background today, and my appreciation of it is much higher than when I was giving it a serious listen. It's fun music.