To paraphrase the Bernstein/Comden/Green song from On the Town, Russ Kassoff can really cook! He blew into town with a seventeen-piece band and rocked the place!  Kassoff, a pianist, conductor and composer, arranged every song, including “I Can Cook Too,” performed nicely by Catherine Dupuis, the band’s vocalist since 2003.

Ronny Whyte, a highly regarded singer, jazz pianist, award-winning songwriter, recording artist, actor and champion of other music artists, is the producer of the Midtown Jazz at Midday series and the host for Russ Kassoff’s Big Band. Whyte continues a tradition begun by the late Edmund Anderson in 1982.  Anderson, a long-time friend of Duke Ellington, wrote the lyrics to “Flamingo,” an early hit for both Ellington and Herb Jeffries. Kassoff’s well received appearance was a welcome addition to the canon of the popular program.

The opener was “The Preacher,” a Horace Silver composition recorded by Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Quincy Jones and Woody Herman, among many others. Exceptional solos were played by Dan Block (alto sax), Glenn Drewes (trumpet), Clint Sharman (trombone) and on the Dixieland passage, Kristy Norty (alto sax), Brian Pareschi (trumpet) and Charley Gordon (trombone).

One of the best numbers was “Joy,” written by the late Gerry Niewood, a co-founder of the band, with a strong solo turn by Dan Block on soprano sax. Of the two songs written by Kassoff, the more striking is “As Life Disappears,” inspired by the brevity of life and the sudden loss of friends. Kassoff has long experience touring with Sinatra, Bennett and Minnelli, and several Band members toured with Basie, Rich, Hampton and other big names.

Among other of the band’s seasoned musicians were Ken Hitchcock, Dave Noland, Ed Xiques, Nathan Mayland, Max Siegel, Jay Anderson, Ray Marchica, Shawn Edmonds and Bud Burridge. Every member of the group was first rate and Kassoff’s charts provided many solo opportunities to showcase their impressive skills.

Kassoff ‘s new CD is Bird Fly By. It’s an inspired collection of songs by Kassoff and Deirdre Broderick, his writing partner of many years, and standards by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn, Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz to name a few.  “As Life Disappears” has words by Broderick, although a vocal version has yet to be recorded. Those wanting to hear more of Catherine Dupuis’ fine voice should check out her own CDs.

Everyone who mourns the absence of the big bands should take heart that one of the very best of the current incarnations is Russ Kassoff’s Big Band.  Russ is at Feinstein’s on March 16 and the Knickerbocker in March and April.

Jerry Osterberg
Cabaret Scenes
February 9, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org