CD review: Carl Saunders – Carl Saunders, Jazz Trumpet 2020: Video, CD cover

‘Carl Saunders, Jazz Trumpet’ is a blend of Jazz standards, American songbook standards and originals which could be referred to as future ‘New Jazz Standards’ featuring the great and legendary Joe Labarbera on drums, the great and legendary bassist Chuck Berghofer and the young, new and brilliant pianist Josh Nelson.

Carl Saunders is widely recognized as one of the greatest jazz trumpet players in the world but it often surprises people to find that he is also a prolific composer who has written hundreds of original compositions. Saunders began as a young man in 1961-62 on the road with Stan Kenton. After spending part of 1962-63 traveling with Bobby Sherwood’s group (playing drums), Carl settled back in Las Vegas where during the next 20 years he played with a countless number of show bands, including lead trumpet with Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennet, and Frank Sinatra. Saunders also traveled as a lead player with Paul Anka and Robert Goulet and with such bandleaders as Si Zentner, Harry James, Maynard Ferguson and Benny Goodman. He was soon playing lead trumpet with Bill Holman’s Orchestra. Saunders has also worked with John Williams and the big bands of Bob Florence, Johnny Mandel, Gerald Wilson, and the Phil Norman Tentet. Nelson has performed with some of the most respected names in jazz, including Kurt Elling, John Pizzarelli, Benny Golson, John Clayton and Peter Erskine. Berghofer’s incredible career includes recording with Nancy Sinatra in ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’. He also recorded with Frank Sinatra many others. Performer on hundreds of recording, LaBarbera is best known for his recordings and live performances with the trio of pianist Bill Evans in the final years of Evans’s career.

01. Recordame
02. All The Things You Are
03. Say What
04. Sail Away
05. I Thought About You
06. Flim Flam
07. Patience
08. Cherokee
09. Tofu or Not Tofu
10. Dusk and Dawn
11. Pick Yourself Up
12. Walking on Air

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAbqwMjK1uU