Musical Gift Suggestions for your Holiday Shopping
By Dee Dee McNeil/Jazz Journalist - October 18, 2018
Ken Wiley, French horn/piano/composer; Bernie Dresel, drums; Rene Camacho, acoustic & Elec. Bass; Dominick Genova, acoustic bass; Dave Loeb, piano; Mark Leggett, acoustic Guitar; Luis Conte & Kevin Ricard, percussion; Dan Higgins, tenor saxophone/flute/alto flute/piccolo/clarinet; BOLERO HORNS: Gary Grant, Larry Hall, Steve Holtman & Dan Higgins.
I must admit I have no recollection of hearing a jazz CD that featured a French Horn as the main soloist and featured artist. My inquisitive interest was tickled. Ken Wiley has utilized a number of different, original compositions to feature his passion on French horn. Wiley is the composer of several tunes, with the exception of Carilo (one of my favorites on this production) and El Gorrion; both co-written with Mark Leggett. Another exception is Bolero, the opening tune, that was composed by Maurice Ravel. On Track six, the ensemble interprets McCoy Tyner’s composition “Samba Layuca,” giving Dave Loeb an opportunity to stretch out his piano chops on a long and impressive solo. All of these songs have a Latin feel, enhanced by Kevin Ricard on percussion and Bernie Dresel on drums. However, this is easy listening jazz, even on the McCoy Tyner tune. The talented musicians in his ensemble lay down a strong trampoline of rhythm and horn lines to help bounce the French horn solos to the forefront. The flute of Dan Higgins adds holiday sparkle to this production and is quite prominent on Cal Tjader’s composition, “Black Orchid.”
Produced by Ken Wiley and Dan Higgins, this is a production of exotic sounding songs that somehow conjure up a soundtrack to old, Western, cowboy movies when I listen to them.
Ken Wiley graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and remains one of the top studio musicians in the Los Angeles area. This unusual production, that showcases Wiley’s hypnotic talents on the French horn, bring an instrument to the forefront that usually is a blended part of the background orchestra. Comfortably mixed with his love of Afro-Cuban and South American rhythms, Wiley shows us how jazz can red-carpet a stage to spotlight the most unusual of instrumental gifts.