Tony Monaco Live At The Orbit Room
Label: SUMMIT RECORDS Catalog: SMTCCP7012 Format: CD * 1 S'bout Time - 12:15 * 2 Ode to Billie Joe - 11:24 * 3 I'll Close My Eyes - 11:16 * 4 Someday My Prince Will Come - 9:01 * 5 Slow Down Sagg - 12:24 * 6 S'bout Time [Edited for Radio][*] - 8:35 * 7 Ode to Billie Joe [Edited for Radio][*] - 8:24 Tony Monaco's blazing B-3 organ virtuosity is now a known commodity after six dynamic CDs that display his incredible musicianship that seems to have no limits. This seventh effort is a live one in every sense, done at Toronto's Orbit Room with a local ensemble featuring guitarist Ted Quinlan and drummer Vito Rezza. They play at length standards and interpretations of music from organ icons Don Patterson and Jimmy Smith, including two versions edited by a few minutes for radio airplay. Monaco's organ sounds over-produced and very loud on these recordings, not at all uncommon for the instrument to sound in a club setting, and it's too bad that the sonic capture of his sound is not optimal. But you still can hear how consistently great a player Monaco is as he rips through these tunes like it's second nature. Patterson's "S'bout Time" is a great hard bop melody in the chitlin' circuit tradition, and memorable on first blush. While "Slow Down Sagg" is not as recognizable, it is one of the more get-down tunes from Smith's book, and done well from a purely physical standpoint. While "Ode to Billie Joe" might tend to be a bit trite and corny, Monaco and the trio pull it off, even with a bit of honky tonk camp, if not pomp or funky circumstance. The standards Monaco plays steam along with confidence, and in the case of the very slow "I'll Close My Eyes," display extraordinary patience and craftsmanship. On balance, Monaco's previously released Intimately Live at the 501 is a better choice for a club date recording, but this is not bad at all, and holds merit for the musicianship present. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi Price: $18.98 |