Reviews

A sense of poetry permeates the entirety of clarinetist Harry Skoler's superb Red Brick Hill. This is not only because of the music's melancholic lyricism or the intimacy of the performances. Rather, this cohesive suite, dedicated to the memory of a departed friend, is akin to a narrative in verse consisting of 14 interlinked parts.

On "Last Star, Last Night," the main motif of which also forms the album's prologue and epilogue, Skoler blows a warm, serpentine melody. It meanders through darkly rumbling rhythms, thus creating a nocturnesque ambience, while Skoler's wistful improvisation hints at Eastern mysticism. Pianist Christian Sands' virtuosic solo complements Skoler in ideas and emotion, while sparse notes from bassist Dezron Douglas and resonant beats from drummer Johnathan Blake and vibraphonist Joel Ross add another dramatic layer to the tune.

Douglas opens the centerpiece title track with reverberating vamps. Skoler's wails bounce off Ross' crystalline mallet strikes and Blake's expectant rustle. Douglas agilely maintains the hypnotic theme before briefly taking a contemplative extemporization. Simultaneously mournful and irate, Skoler's expressive lines nonetheless evolve into a somber serenity. Ross' tolling chimes add an angular and spiritual edge to the collective sound.

Skoler also features a couple of guest musicians on the album. Harmonica player Grégoire Maret brings his unique style to "still. here." Over a percolating cadence, Maret and Skoler mirror each other with cautious exuberance, adding a touch of optimism to the piece. Meanwhile, on "blue, mostly" trumpeter Marquis Hill unleashes fiery, burnished tones to which Skoler responds with passionate circular phrases. The ensuing dialogue is urgent and moving.

At once innovative and accessible, Red Brick Hill is a personal statement with universal appeal. Skoler's best release to date, it's a brilliant work from a consummate artist.

It's a tremendous album, Harry! In the tradition of Jimmy Giuffre and just as great!

I really appreciate you taking the time to send your note. The Jazz Station is not a business. It is a Passion Project. Reaching listeners with great music is also our ultimate goal.

Please believe me when I tell you that your Red Brick Hill has been a personal favorite of mine this year. The texture and tone of the compositions and performance are both stimulating and reflective. If that makes any sense.

I recently took a 6300 mile roadtrip from California back to the Midwest. At one point, I played Red Brick Hill in its entirety as I drove across the wide open spaces of eastern Colorado at dusk. It was a great way to really 'hear' the music.

Again, thank you for the note. And, the music.

From clarinetist to clarinetist – I listened to it briefly and immediately noticed, to understand this music you need time, you can’t just listen to it casually. So – this day I listened to the CD for the third time and that was more than necessary! For the first time I asked myself – why this gloomy picture, why this sadness, this melancholy…? And then more and more I discovered the dramaturgy in the music – in profound, moving ballads. Yes, the ballad play, that is Harry Skoler‘s strength, with soft, round tone in Chalumeau Register, mistily, veiled… he is a great ballad player! Impressive the floating sound, the fragile rhythm – I love it, just not stomp and superfluous notes play… The players are great, they understand Mr. Skoler’s Intuition and can follow him. They all have the simple and eternally valid Miles Davis saying in mind

– Play not the Instrument, Play the Music –

I have some favorites of course – track 6/14 (Last Star, Last Night), wonderfully played, fantastic atmosphere and pianist Christian Sands  – track 4 (blue, mostly), abstract, great theme and great trumpet player (Marquis Hill) – track 5, (abyss), drums & clarinet, complementary, very stylish with drummer Johnathan Blake – track 13, (still. here.), fine harmonica and bass player (Grégoire Maret & Dezron Douglas) and yes – don’t forget the great Joel Ross on vibes.

I can only congratulate Harry on his choice of musicians, each one better than the other! The disc will definitely go into my car player!

Clarinetist Harry Skoler has a story to tell, and he tells it with elegance and pathos on Red Brick Hill. It’s a story about reconciling with a traumatic experience from his youth — the death of a childhood friend. It’s a story he shared with the musicians before they recorded the 14 original compositions on Red Brick Hill. Skoler’s woody tone, the dark bass lines of Dezron Douglas, the shimmering cascades of Joel Ross’ vibraphone and the rhythmic punctuations of drummer Johnathan Blake are ideal for telling such a story. The mood of the recording is set from the opening statement of “Last Star, Last Night (prologue),” delivered by Skoler in a somber tone reminiscent of the Jewish Mourner’s Kaddish. Pianist Christian Sands is added to the ensemble for a fuller version of “Last Star, Last Night,” revealing the beauty of this heartfelt ballad. Skoler and Sands return to the tune as touching epilogue for the story. Although “Blue, Mostly” is the name of a tune on this emotional set, its title accurately describes the majority of the tracks — meditative and reflective as Skoler explores and exploits the full range of the clarinet. Skoler’s comfort with free improvisation is apparent on “Ascent,” a clarinet-bass duo, “Abyss,” a clarinet-drum duo and “Harbinger,” a clarinet-vibe duo. Harmonica player Gregoire Maret and Skoler blend effortlessly on the more upbeat “Still. Here.” Red Brick Hill is a powerful story told with empathy and creativity by Skoler and the various musicians who assembled for this recording. Needless to say, it’s also powerful music!

BOTTOM LINE: How does clarinetist Harry Skoler overcome a trauma he experienced as a youth? With heartfelt original music performed by a group of exceptional musicians who understand how best to tell Skoler’s story in a moving and heartfelt manner. The music will move you as well.

"The low woody tone of the clarinet mixes wonderfully with the chiming sound of the vibes.”

"… a remarkable release from clarinetist Harry Skoler, (Red Brick Hill), featuring vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Derzon Douglas, and drummer Johnathan Blake.”

"… currently listening to the Track BLUE, MOSTLY… avantgarde at its best."

For his latest, clarinetist and educator (Berklee College of Music) Harry Skoler has aligned himself with terrific quartet-mates - Joel Ross on vibes, Dezron Douglas on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums. Half the disc features this lineup and they sound great together. Skoler also recorded duets with each bandmate and these are among the highlights of the disc. As a bonus, the quartet is joined on one tune each by Marquis Hill on trumpet, Christian Sands on piano (Last Star, Last Night, another highlight) and Gregoire Maret on harmonica. But mostly, this is a quartet record and the low woody tone of the clarinet mixes wonderfully with the chiming sound of the vibes. Recommended.

Clarinetist and composer Harry Skoler enlists the help of stellar musicians to enrich a set of 14 compositions that tells the sad, traumatic story of the loss of a friend in his teenage years. The core quartet comprises Skoler, vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Johnathan Blake. The album, Red Brick Hill, is infused with curiosity and invention, often surprising with an optimum balance between discipline and freedom.

Solo clarinet opens the proceedings, leading to the polyrhythmic “NanCee”, which is followed by “Ascent”, a sketchy, freely improvised duet between Skoler and Douglas. “Blue, Mostly” is a groovy vehicle where Skoler and guest trumpeter Marquis Hill pair up in unison and then exchange bars over a colorful vibing tapestry. “Apple Hands” is driven forth by a 5/4 bass figure that succeeds to a preliminary 3/4 undercurrent powered by vibraphone and drums, freeing Skoler to create melodically atop. “Beneath Bequeath” is a standout, building a free-flowing avant-garde bluesiness around a catchy riff. Somehow, the group's sound here brought to my minds Don Byron's 1999 album Romance with the Unseen.

The central piece of the album is the gorgeous ballad “Last Star, Last Night”, where Skoler and guest pianist Christian Sands express what's in their souls through candid improvisation. The title cut, “Red Brick Hill”, explores a 5/4 groove for five minutes before shifting into rubato meditations, ideal for Douglas and Ross' lyrical stimulus. The group concludes it calmly after a different bass groove in five is put in motion. In turn, “Still. Here” features the proficient harmonica playing of Swiss-born Grégoire Maret, who enjoys Skoler's clear-cut lines on his side to achieve a sweet state of grace.

Well adapted to the current jazz zeitgeist, Skoler narrates his story earnestly for a therapeutic effect while providing a captivating listening experience for audiences.

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a jazz clarinet player as much as here. Usually it's catching someone live rather than on record. Last time? Easy. That was hearing Oran Etkin, live at the Soho Pizza in 2015. And before that, again live when Don Byron played the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and before that at the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1994 - and I reckon Byron's Tuskegee Experiments (Elektra/Nonesuch, 1992) is the best ''clarinet album'' of the last 40 years. There is no guitar here and it is the vibes of Joel Ross rather than woodier marimba of Richie Schwarz that applies on this introspective often balladic gem from clarinettist Harry Skoler. Besides Ross whose Nublues this year is one of the best albums of the year, Skoler - born 1956 in Syracuse, New York State - has assembled a top band and has a range of top next generation leaders with him - bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Johnathan Blake included with well-known guests also cropping up here-and-there such as pianist Christian Sands - known for his work with Christian McBride - the 2014 Monk prize winning trumpeter Marquis Hill and Swiss harmonica star Grégoire Maret (so good is the ''blues harp'' head's playing on Ennio with Romain Collin this year icymi).

Why don't we know more about Skoler? Maybe it's because the teacher-jazzer has been cloistered teaching a lot at Berklee since the 1990s. And maybe it's also because most night club jazz acts aren't led by clarinet players. That ain't gonna change any time soon, is it? Red Brick Hill is a concept album about a teenage friend of Skoler's who died. You don't need to know the back story at all as it isn't like incidental music to a play or a film where visual context introduces lots of cognitive bias when experiencing all together.

But you do get drama. I like the mystery Ross injects on 'AppleHands' where Skoler's fruity timbral response brings out the quirkiness and humour of the clarinet. And I also like the way too he can stretch out on 'Beneath Bequeath'. Elsewhere his mastery of the glissando is one very attractive quality that crops up without being showy.

Overall Red Brick Hill is - for want of a better term - ''chamber jazz''… ''concert hall jazz'' if you prefer. And yes it suffers a little from the overly ponderous nature of the milieu in some passages. You won't be tuning in here to get the party started - it's not that kind of groove orientated recording at all - but neither is it dry nor overly academic either. And throughout great musicianship and thoughtfulness await you in in both the compositional process and execution.

Live it would be fascinating to hear Skoler. Chances of that happening beyond America are probably not very high. Pity! But who knows. Certainly news of this album has already flown the home coop among those of us keen to find meaningful jazz emerging out there like a speck on the horizon coming in from a road less travelled but finding itself slap bang in the middle of a somehow sought after destination against all odds. The word is out. SG

For Harry Skoler, music is the thread of his life, a crucial element that keeps him standing. Losing a friend in his youth, raised in a house built by his father, a youth impacted by this loss, driving him to seek refuge in music. In his new recording, Red Brick Hill, Skoler revisits the past and tells his story instrumentally with an incredible array of musicians, aiming to purify his soul, preserve his friend's legacy, and, hopefully, help others bear such burdens through the gift of music.

Skoler grew up in a house designed by his father at the top of a red brick hill. Although there weren't many children in their neighborhood, Skoler was able to develop deep friendships with a young girl named Nancy and a calm, serious boy named Bill. When they were teenagers, Bill moved away from the hill but first brought Skoler a box containing his childhood toys and trinkets. It wasn't until later that Skoler, while walking with a friend, saw Bill's mother arriving at his friend's house.

In these compositions, indeed, there is a form of torment paralleled with often joyful and expressive music. A personal story is told somewhat like a film, and one can understand the contours of Harry Skoler's work when one knows the rest of his story: Curious about her presence, Skoler asked his friend about Bill. His friend told him he wasn't supposed to tell him anything. Pressing his friend, Skoler discovered that Bill was dead. Running frantically back to his house, Skoler plunged into the newspapers of the past weeks, only to find an article reporting Bill's suicide. Devastated, Skoler found no comfort from his parents and discovered they had even asked others not to tell him about Bill's disappearance.

The birth of this new project for Skoler dates back to 2022, with producer Walter Smith III encouraging Skoler to continue writing music to tell his story. In August 2022, Skoler and his son went to New York to record the album at Sear Sound studio. Before the session, Skoler told his story to his son, who replied that Skoler should tell the ensemble of musicians that he and Smith had assembled, including vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Johnathan Blake. The musicians listened to the story with empathy and promised to tell it through their playing. The recording testifies to the ensemble's empathy, as the music highlights their connection throughout the album.

We find here an album of significant intellectual depth, in which the composer has managed to convey a myriad of feelings, as well as images of moments. It results in a form of natural nostalgia, in a poetic manner. It is perhaps the most beautiful tribute anyone could make to a dear departed friend, with moving compositions. Red Brick Hill is a memory between joy and sorrow, but above all, it is a beautiful note of hope that Harry Skoler gives us, a form of life lesson, something precious that undoubtedly deserves to land on our “Essential Albums” list.

"Drawn from Red Brick Hill out next month on Sunnyside this is new from the Bradford, Massachusetts-based Berklee professor clarinettist Harry Skoler and features some characteristically nimble double bass playing from the great Dezron Douglas and brightly conveyed vibes by Blue Note star Joel Ross whose Nublues is one of 2024's finest releases.

There's also unforgettably a fabulously scalding clarinet run from the leader.

The track, full of lots of brooding timbral contrasts and interesting narrative story telling in the compositional structure, was recorded at top New York studio Sear Sound - a synonym for quality jazz sonics in other words - the trumpet solo from Marquis Hill is also notable and the interplay between trumpet and clarinet gains a whole lot of traction.

Drummer on the track is Blue Note star, also well known for his work with Kenny Barron and Dave Holland, the formidable hard bop player Johnathan Blake whose album Passage lit us up inside immeasurably in 2023."

"Harry Skoler's Red Brick Hill is beautiful music, even without knowing its programmatic nature. Not only is it obviously deeply felt, but each selection stands on its own as an attractive composition that benefits from being beautifully played. Skoler's tone is especially appealing. "

"Most tributes to the legendary bassist Charles Mingus fail because they try to reproduce the feel of the tormented genius, and the fact is that most jazz artists these days are just not that tormented. Harry Skoler avoids the problem by featuring the tunes of Mingus with his clarinet, something rarely played in the Mingus lexicon. He also brings in a string quartet and an all-star cast of Kenny Barron/p, Christian McBride/b, Johnathan Blake/dr, Nicholas Payton/tp and Jazzmeia Horn/voc to bring out fresh colors of the Mingus palate.

Horn is blue with Barron on “Moves” while Barron and McBride duke it out on “Underdog”. The team is pastoral on “Newcomer” and the strings are rich as they pizzicato through “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” and sway to “Peggy’s Blue Skylight”. Skoler’s warm and woody stick works wonders, particularly on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” but also on the dream y “Sue’s Changes” with Payton. For this session, beauty won out over anger."

"Among the various tributes to the compositions of Charles Mingus, published in the year of the centenary of his birth, this one by Harry Skoler confirms the plasticity of those themes, articulated and changeable, fruit of his complex personality.

The author and first soloist of this project is a clarinetist—a former student of Jimmy Giuffre at the New England Conservatory and a professor at Berklee College for years—whose life has been radically influenced by Mingus's opera.

In collaboration with saxophonist Walter Smith III, here as producer, Skoler asked Darcy James Argue, Ambrose Akinmusire and Fabian Almazan to orchestrate some famous compositions by the double bass player for a sextet with pianist Kenny Barron, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Christian McBride, drummer Johnathan Blake and singer Jazzmeia Horn. A string quartet completes the ensemble, with a significant role in the orchestral dynamics.

The result is particularly successful due to the balance it achieves by enhancing the touching beauty of Mingus' themes without forgetting their restless substratum with the dissonant scores for strings and some parts in free improvisation.

Almost absent is the reference to the vibrant passion of blues and gospel but I think it's a weighted choice of the project. Mingusian poetics are characterized by changing moods: a kaleidoscope of conflicting elements that reflected his intricate psychic dynamics and it is not easy to consider them all.

Focusing on Skoler's radiant clarinet, all the arrangements—albeit to varying degrees—exalt the melodic charm of the themes, highlighting their restlessness with scores rich in internal contrasts and dissonances.

The particularly appreciable results are various: "Goodbye Por Pie Hat" orchestrated by Almazan; "Peggy Blue Skylight" and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" from Argue (even more intense contrasts, at times dark); "Newcomer" and "Invisible Lady" from Akinmusire (creepy and mysterious). The contributions of Barron, Payton. McBride, Blake and Jazzmeia Horn (on one track, "Moves") are obviously top notch but limited."

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"In 2022, the jazz world celebrated the centenary of the birth of one of the brightest giants of jazz - bassist and composer Charlles Mingus. Exactly on his birthday, April 22, Sunnyside Records released a tribute album Living in Sound: The Music of Charles Mingus dedicated to his memory. The soul and initiator of this project is Harry Skoler, a professor at the famous Berklee College, a music critic and writer and, of course, an active clarinetist with a great career behind him. Back in 1974, back in Syracuse, New York, young Harry discovered Mingus' music on the master's Moves album, released that year. He made a huge impression on Skoler, he became a loyal fan of Mingus' work, and read his autobiography Beneath the Underdog with great interest. Many years later, in 2019, Skoler caught fire to record the album from the works performed by Mingus, and shared his dream with saxophonist Walter Smith III. The latter agreed to produce the project and in this capacity showed real miracles. Just look at the composition of the participants in the record, look at which stars he managed to collect: for piano Kenny Barron, on the bass - Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton plays trumpet, for the drums - Johnathan Blake, in one of the tracks is the incomparable Jazzmeia Horn, and in addition, there was an excellent string quartet that is also invited. But that's not all. When the program was prepared, Walter invited no less brilliant masters - Darcy James Argue, Ambrose Akinmusire and Fabian Almazan - to write arrangements. They were given absolute creative freedom in their work. By August 2021, everything was ready, and the entire composition of the project participants recorded this program in two days. The result is in front of you, and everyone who hears Living in Sound: The Music of Charles Mingus can appreciate the great work of such a bright team. This result captured me from the very first track, because the album began with my favorite piece by Mingus (and I'm not alone in this) Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. Skoler's clarinet sounds great in this piece, and the strings adequately support the elegiac-solemn atmosphere of the composition in Almazan's arrangement. Barron is very good in Peggy's Blue Skylight and, especially, McBride, who had to act as if in the role of Mingus himself. He, along with Skoler and strings, graced Duke Ellington's Sound of Love, a piece that Mingus dedicated to his favorite jazz composer. The 1971 composition Remember Rockefeller at Attica - Mingus, who often responded to various events in American life, wrote in the wake of the Attica prison riot and the behavior of New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller in this regard. Nicholas Payton's trumpet and Harry Skoler's clarinet masterfully convey the nervous and unsettling atmosphere of this piece. In Moves, Payton and Horn demonstrate a spectacular duet of trumpet and human voice, and in Invisible Lady, the highly experienced Barron is very good. The album ends with Skoler's own piece Underdog, which looks like the author's signature under his work. The album is powerful and I wouldn't be surprised if we see it among the Grammy nominees, or maybe it will bring the Golden Gramophone itself to its creators."

“Clarinetist Henry Skoler's first exposure to Mingus on record was 1974's Mingus Moves, a transitional and somewhat overlooked piece in the bassist's extensive catalog. The album included a female vocalist on the title track and a rare instance of compositions by other members of the bassist's quintet. This gateway helps provide a more unique perspective for Skoler's tribute, which was assembled with help from tenor saxophonist Walter Smith IlI (who produces but does not play on the album).

Along with Skoler's rich clarinet playing, Living In Sound includes only one other horn, Nicholas Payton's trumpet. Instead, the music relies on a string quartet along with an A-list rhythm section (pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Christian McBride, drummer Johnathan Blake). Vocalist Jazzmeia Horn sings the vocal on "Moves”. The album concludes boldly with an Skoler original "Underdog," the name referencing Mingus' infamous book Beneath the Underdog.

If clarinet might seem like a questionable instrument to lead a Mingus tribute, Skoler casts aside any doubt in the opening moments of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat." He plays with a muscular tone that gets to the heart of the piece. Skoler, a professor at the Berklee College of Music, understands the efforts needed to produce convincing versions of the music.

The arrangements are divided between Darcy James Argue, Ambrose Akinmusire and Fabian Almazan. Argue adds some Psycho-style strings to the intro of "Peggy's Blue Skylight." Even if it serves as a red herring, it offers a good gateway to the tune. Akinmusire's take on Don Pullen's "Newcomer" (from Mingus Moves) turns it into a haunting chamber piece that brings new life to unheralded work. He brings a similar type of misterioso to "Invisible Lady.”

"Moves," which was penned by Doug Hammond, the trumpeter with Mingus in 1974, also gets a new lease on life. Almazan's arrangement leaves the strings out, and Horn gives an understated performance, with McBride, Payton and Skoler (with some high register wails) convincing listeners that it might be time to reexamine the original album.

…like Mingus, the album offers new discoveries with each listen. The clarinetist's original "Underdog" wraps things up with a free moving piece that leans into the duality of its inspiration, both turbulent and gentle at the same time.”

"Argue … takes “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” into interesting territory with an arrangement that straddles the lush and spare, one that Skoler navigates beautifully in his lead, with tones of respect for the composer Mingus most admired."

"Throughout this strikingly evocative project, the clarinet virtuoso — a Mingus obsessive since his teens — offers efflorescent improvisations through arrangements of nine Mingus compositions by Ambrose Akinmusire, Fabian Almazan and Darcy James Argue, with a to-die-for rhythm section of Kenny Barron, Christian McBride and Johnathan Blake, joined on various tracks by trumpet titan Nicholas Payton, vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and a string quartet."

"Harry Skoler, who put this joint together, plays clarinet and eases you into the Lester Young tune so sweetly that you wonder why the instrument isn’t more popular. This album is a thing of beauty and one can only thank Harry Skoler for digging Mingus enough to drop this."

"Everything sounds great, the music swings and the ensemble has real command of the charts, of shifting moods and especially fine modulations of dynamics. The arrangements make excellent use of instrumental color and put Mingus’ themes into the context of extended, complex harmonies…this is good music well played, it feels good as it goes down…Skoler’s own “Underdog”…convincing, with flashes of complex, unresolved emotions and ideas—Mingus."

"It is absolutely my pleasure to share your new album with our listeners around the world! I mentioned on the air that I love the concept of this album, bringing the great compositions of Charles Mingus to a wider audience by means of … great arrangements and the playing of everyone on the record (a real all-star cast!). The clarinet I think helps emphasize (or bring out) the wonderful melodies of Mingus’ music. This also serves as a reminder for me to go back and program another track!"

"The concept of the CD isn't new, but it's implemented in a great way -- the soloists and rhythm section are in dialogue with a string quartet. Jazz elements are largely improvised, while the string quartet takes on the classical, composed part. It works amazingly well here, the string arrangements remind me of Spate Beethoven's quartets or even more of Bela Bartok's fantastic string quartets! The sound is brilliant, as if I were sitting between the stringed instruments in the studio, real goosebumps... the rhythm section is sublime, Kenny Barron, p, Christian McBride, b, Johnathan Blake, dr, are real jazz musicians who have been, themselves, proven for decades. So, the music of bass legend Charles Mingus is delivered in a relaxed manner, with the group listening attentively to the soloists, accompanying them calmly, and yet urgently. The aforementioned imaginative contributions also come as soloists, and trumpeter Nicholas Payton is also a notable example. And now the most important thing, the clarinet... The sound is not stiff and intrusive, but smooth and warm, sounds as if covered with a veil... Harry Skoler, who teaches clarinet at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, doesn't allow himself to be seduced by technical gimmicks, doesn't rush up and down meaningless arpeggios, he tries to avoid superfluous tones, is dynamic and expressive. The most important thing for jazz musicians is if they can be recognized after a few notes. Skoler is clearly recognizable! Unique Contemporary Jazz -- If this disc doesn't get a Grammy nomination, then I don't know who, and for what!"

"It's nice when a little charmer like this sneaks up and pulls on your coat. The unusual front line, the casual nature of the tunes, the inspired notion of balancing the full-group tracks with the duo setting ... it all adds up to a minor jewel. If it gets noticed, Skoler should get busy with a follow-up."

"Two Ones - the title of clarinetist Harry Skoler's fourth CD - clearly alludes to the musical rapport between Skoler and vibraphonist/pianist Ed Saindon, in addition to referencing the way the album is divided into quintet and duo recordings. Skoler and Saindon have been working together for more than fifteen years and have developed a deep musical connection during that time. This album is a faculty-friend affair, with all five musicians on this date being faculty members at the Berklee College of Music, and Skoler couldn't have asked for more sympathetic musical colleagues to flesh out his mellow musical concepts here. The first seven tracks feature the quintet and while similar traits are found in all of these pieces, enough little differences help to distinguish many of the performances. The first two quintet tracks, "Leaves of Autumn" and "Two As One," establish the tranquil mood of the album with a warm blend of Skoler's clarinet, Saindon's vibes, and Matt Marvuglio's flute. "Alpine Sunset," an elegant waltz with Saindon on piano, features a bit more energy from everybody involved; both Marvuglio and Skoler deliver the goods on their respective solos. "Giorgio's Theme," the only tune with some shades of Brazil, benefits from drummer Bob Tamagni's grooves and bassist Barry Smith's stability and malleability. "Piazzolla" captures the spirit, mood and swaying vibe that its namesake created in his "New Tango" compositions and features some sensitive piano work from Saindon. "Silent Serenity" shows these musicians to be very flexible as they play with the tempo and demonstrate a keen rhythmic sense... The warm, pleasing sound of "Jenna's Voice" helps to make this a standout track and "Joyful Sorrow" which receives a quintet and a duo reading on the album, is exceptional. While the quintet version opens things up a bit, the duo interpretation distills the melodic essence of the song into a tender and beautiful two minutes and forty seconds of music."

All About Jazz

"An educator that has a lot of real world experience but still makes jazz for sitting down checks in with his 4th set as a leader with material that falls to the right of an ECM set but isn't stuck in an arts gratia artis groove. Light and easy but not lite, the music is expressive while not hitting you over the head. Nice listening date jazz that quietly does its thing in just the right measure throughout."

"...wonderfully lyrical CD"

"We inserted this CD into our player expecting to hear either Dixie or big band music featuring Harry on clarinet. Harry is spotlighted on center stage but he is playing more inspirational ballads like "Dad's Clarinet" and "Song For Jessy". The music is very pleasant and relaxing especially "Two As One" featuring Ed Saindon (vibes) and Matt Marvuglio (fl). Saindon (p) also shines on "Joyful Sorrow". Barry Smith (b) and Bob Tamagni (d) round out the quintet as they glide through fifteen selections. Ed Saindon composed the music alone or with Skoler."

"You don't hear too much music with clarinet in the forefront and I always appreciate the smooth, lyrical tones you get from a really good player like Skoler. The production and recording values are beautiful and transparent. The level of technique is so good, you don't know it's there."

"Outstanding jazz clarinetist Harry Skoler's fourth recording as a leader is a collaboration with artist Ed Saindon (vibraphone and piano). They are featured in duo and quintet settings. Skoler and Saindon teach at Berklee College of Music, and each have authored numerous figures including a Down Beat figure authored by the clarinetist. Ed Saindon has recorded with renowned jazz players Kenny Werner and Dave Liebman. Skoler and Saindon have collaborated on numerous recordings. For this CD, Saindon composed nine pieces, and five were co-written. Of particular interest on the recording is Leaves of Autumn, which is harmonically based on the standard Autumn Leaves. The playing is very musical and likeable. The quintet, featuring clarinet, flute, vibraphone and piano, blend to give the music a mood that is special and the duo tracks are filled with emotion."

"We reviewed Skoler's superb clarinet work way back in issue 29 ... Ed's vibes create a really mellow atmosphere through all 14 original compositions on this album, with a really strong jazz flavor. The rest of the quintet are featured on the first 7 tracks, then after cut 8, it switches to purely duo action (piano/clarinet) ... my favorite song was 7, "Silent Serenity", which is (actually) far from silent... yes, it's serene & mellow, but full of the vibrant spirit of life & the living thereof... Matt Marvuglio played flute on that track, & it's some of the most soulful wind I've ever heard blown - he literally paints sonic landscapes for your aural pleasure! I'm highly impressed with "Two Ones", & declare it MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for jazz listeners of all persuasions."

"...(Saindon and Skoler) can finish each other's sentences, anticipate where the conversation is going and get there quickly. But, perhaps more important ... they do not fear the inevitable silences, which allow the sparse arrangements room to breathe, invisibly underlining the quiet serenity of beautifully enunciated phrases almost whispered in the listener's ear. The songs are lovely, lyrical and hopeful. The interplay between the two musicians is a well-understood, intricate dance."

"The music is sweet, original, superbly performed and fluidly executed. With its flawless technical production values, this "Two Ones" is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of all jazz enthusiasts..."

"Review of track 'Piazzolla' - "Part of a sensitive, often poignant collection of ensemble and duo work featuring the all-too-often-ignored clarinet, this number could be the soundtrack for broken dreams. Without resorting to athletic displays of musical calisthenics, Harry Skoler uses his rich timbre to great effect, summoning bittersweet memories of intimate encounters from long ago. 'Piazzolla' is more about the veneration than the virtuosity, as the individuals lose themselves in an evocative group improvisation. Following Ed Saindon's somber piano intro, the ensemble falls into a dusky tango with an intense broodiness suggesting the suppressed passion of tangoists in a clandestine embrace. Frequently the soloists seem to be carrying on a dialogue, but they never trip over each other's phrasing, demonstrating a disciplined freedom and mutual respect. Both the composition and the polished musicianship on this piece do sufficient justice to the legacy of Astor Piazzolla, Argentine's innovative bandoneon player and composer. Hold your partner close for this dance."

"The tunes here are very impressionistic, almost like mini tone poems, reduced down to the minimum instrumentation required. They certainly shun the usual exhortations of much overwrought modern jazz music, and concentrate on melody and poignancy. This is very emotional music and it will probably create mind pictures of a pastoral nature when you listen to it ... it leaves you in a state of the blues that echoes in your head for many hours after."

"Clarinet fans will want to pick up a copy (or two) of Harry Skoler's "Two Ones." The Berklee associate professor and Jimmy Giuffre-protege is again paired with his Berklee colleague, professor, pianist and vibraphonist Ed Saindon on his fourth recording as a leader. On the first half of the recording, these two virtuosos are backed by tasteful bass, drum and flute pla yers connected with the school, while the second half consists of duets. All of the songs are originals penned by either Saindon, or a combination of Skoler and Saindon and veer toward a more traditional approach, yet with a fresh feel. The results are pure magic, with exceptional give and take between two men who are very familiar with each other's styles and willing to complement one another. Saindon is truly wonderful both on piano as well as utilizing his four-mallet pianistic approach on vibes. Skoler meanwhile combines a clear, rich, attractive tone with a romantic melancholic longing. Hard to pick highlights because everything here is so solid, and as good as the quintet work is, it is a compliment that the duet half seems just as strong and enjoyable."

"The clarinet always has been cursed by players who make it squeak. The skills of ... Harry Skoler keep that from happening ... his playing is so good that isn't a problem. Skoler plays beautiful clarinet that sings through pieces that are in a type of jazz-sonata-form in their construction ... the playing is of such a high quality..."

"'Two Ones' is the return to the recording world of clarinetist Harry Skoler, after more than a decade of silence. Skoler previously released three discs (Conversations in the Language of Jazz - 1995, Reflections on the Art of Swing, A Tribute to Benny Goodman 1996, and "Work of Heart" - 1999) that were very well received by critics as well as by the public. Throughout this time of recording inactivity Skoler has been dedicated ... on the one hand, to education at the renown Berklee College of Music in Boston, and on the other, dedicating himself to his family. Some might say this evidences clarity of values. In his return to the world of recordings, he has done so accompanied by a quintet of good friends that are also wonderful musicians (which need not necessarily go together) among which we must emphasize the great vibraphonist Ed Saindon. All the members of the band are professors at Berklee College of Music. The title of the disc "Two Ones" (close to the title of the track "Two As One"), gives the clue as to where this excellent disc goes. This excellent disc contains two discs in one; the seven first tracks are performed by the quintet, whereas the following eight tracks are duets between Skoler and Saindon, two men who have collaborated together many years and that are known very well. Ed Saindon plays both vibraphone and piano equally well. The title of the recording is a metaphor both on the individuality inherent as well as the teamwork. The fifteen tracks, all original compositions, are beautiful. The track "Alpine Sunset distinguishes itself with a groove that propels. This disc is an album to enjoy tranquility and peace."

"Harry Skoler has a beautiful clarinet sound, technique to spare and a host of ideas, which make his playing a joy to listen to. His partner in both composition and performance, Ed Saindon, is an equally skilled musician, who plays both piano and vibes with great excellence. There is an obvious rapport between them. They obviously play together regularly and it is from this kind of association that they develop this ability to understand one another, in terms of what comes next on the improvised solos. The playing of flautist Matt Marvuglio, bass player Barry Smith and drummer Bob Tamagni also contributes to the enjoyment on part one of the record; the second part consists of just piano and clarinet. The blend of flute and clarinet on part one is a sound not to be missed: it is just beautiful to hear. For part two, the duo part to the album, the mood changes to something more wistful than the Quintet offering. It is however equally enjoyable and both players perform with great sensitivity and feel towards the music. Harry Skoler's clarinet sound is even more noticeable in this smaller group setting; he really is a master of the instrument in every sense of the word. This is a record to put on your CD player and just let the music wash over you. It is interesting enough to command your constant attention, but relaxed enough to enable you to just sit in comfort, listen and enjoy!"

"Throughout A Work of Heart clarinetist Harry Skoler displays an intimate, chamber swing sensibility that sings above a finely meshed group of musicians. Skoler is not interested in pyrotechnics; he is interested in the emotional nuances of ten carefully chosen compositions... Donn Trenner has arranged strings tastefully and affectively. He is also the pianist throughout whose solos and sensitive accompaniment to Skoler contribute significantly to the success of this recording. The guitarists, Garrison Fewell and Joe Lano, are notable for their concise, thoughtful solos often displaying impressive technique and swing.

Harry Skoler plays with a melancholy but hopeful tone that adds a poignancy... His clarinet sound has a deep, rich quality that is especially affective in the slower and medium tempo tracks. A Work of Heart is a meticulously thought through and executed recording. If you're a jazz fan who usually starts looking for the door when jazz strings are mentioned this recording might be the one to turn your head around."

www.allaboutjazz.com

"Harry Skoler is a clarinetist who employs this difficult instrument with a gentle and loving touch. The Berklee professor evokes little of Benny Goodman, except for comparable agility and skill. Skoler's sound is elegantly supple and played mostly in a lush lower-register. The 10 tracks are performed in different musical combinations, adding vibraphonist Rich Margolis on two. But the main collaboration is Skoler and pianist-arranger-producer Donn Trenner, whose lineage ranges from Charlie Parker and Chet Baker to Lena Horne and Mel Torme. Their interplay is stunningly psychic, and their duets on "Don't Ever Go Away" and "Soliloquy" are absolutely exquisite.

This is a diverse production, with the addition of eight string instruments and a French horn creating a luxuriance of sound that complements guitarist Garrison Fewell (Joe Lano on two tracks). Three Latin charts spice the lineup, and there are two tributes to the late Bill Evans: his own "Your Story" and a Skoler-Trenner creation of "Goodbye Mr. Evans." A remarkable album that will stay in my current rotation."

"Harry Skoler's two previous Brownstone albums attested to his fondness for premodernist clarinet traditions, the joy he found in using his well-managed and disciplined reed instrument to "converse" and "reflect" on swinging verities. For his latest studio album, the Berklee instructor takes a different tack and employs strings and a French horn as a backdrop to the winsome, gentle side of the clarinet and to the equally endearing piano stylings of new friend Donn Trenner, the session's producer.

At first listen, Skoler seems to have succumbed to a bleeding heart. Stick with him though, and he'll likely win you over. On Jobim's "Don't Ever Go Away," the richness of his tone, somewhere between romance and melancholia, draws you into the music. The cheery assurance of his melodic variations in Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" attracts, too. "Soliloquy," composed by Skoler and Trenner, sees him achieving lyricism with the exquisite clarity of his sound and the fluidness of his phrases. His playing on seven more songs, including a close study of Bill Evans' "Your Story," also rides an attractively relaxed level of expression that usually eschews mawkishness. Trenner, in years past an accompanist to Charlie Parker, Stan Getz and assorted pop notables, has the warm and sensitive touch needed to complement the clarinetist. He and Skoler go the duet route pleasingly on the Jobim piece and on "Soliloquy."

Guitarists Garrison Fewell and Joe Lano heighten the sense of quiet drama at the core of the session. Fewell is modest, expert and elegant, responding to the clarinetist especially well on "Portrait Of Daniel," another Skoler and Trenner composition. Lano makes a good impression playing on the south-of-the-border "Coisa Feita" and "Sophisticated Yenta," a second warm breeze with Skoler. Not least, the modest, intelligent charts from Trenner or Lano are handled deftly by eight sting players and a French horn player, Las Vegas-based hired guns who give the impression they actually care about quality mainstream jazz."

"...everything works...when Harry Skoler whispers, you listen. ...Good title - this album has heart, and it works. ...Harry waxes sincere...Some rust creeps in, and it fits - you can tell the anguish he's in. But even in pain his beauty shines through, and his emotion is wonderfully big. Love is like that. ...Trenner is lush, and Skoler most tender. ...Harry's licks are emotional, and rest easy on the ears. ...The strings kiss your cheek. ...a fine album: if you like your music tender and have a thing for strings, you'll take this to heart."

"Clarinetist Harry Skoler ... revels in tradition, and that's a good thing. Rather than chasing after a hard-bop revival or a smooth jazz/pop sound, Skoler plays it straight-ahead on "A Work Of Heart". Alternating swing-era-inspired ballads with lush orchestrated pieces, Skoler's sound is pleasingly timeless."

"...this reviewer was bowled over by his purity of tone and innovative improvisation. Where has this man been all these years?"

"Truly excellent clarinetists know how to make the instrument sound sexy; Harry Skoler is definitely one of them...Skoler lays back, letting his clarinet seduce with purring trills that stretch the limits of human hearing. On 'Benny', ...Skoler plays a duet with vibraphonist Ed Saindon, showcasing his ability to pull the listener in with his sound. Here he doesn't showboat or barnstorm...the interplay between him and Saindon reveals something more cerebral and textural, like he was really playing it for Goodman. It's heartfelt and enjoyable..."

"Harry Skoler's new CD is a thoughtful, intelligent, and loving bow to Benny Goodman and to his influence on all Jazz...It's a daunting task to play so many pieces of music that are emotionally connected to another instrumentalist and still make fresh and individual statements. Skoler has risen to the challenge and stayed true to Benny Goodman's spirit. He has also taken those same tunes and shown how strong both he and the songs really are...Reflections on the Art of Swing captures the feeling and energy of those days while remaining firmly based on today. It offers a new vehicle in a vintage spirit. I'm sure Benny Goodman is smiling somewhere. I knew Harry Skoler when we both attended Berklee College of Music in the late seventies. He has continued along a singular path of musical integrity that was evident almost twenty years ago. I am very glad to see his talent in such a showcase."

"...this is a labor of love. And though Goodman's spirit peaks out from behind the phrases, it's clear that Skoler is his own man. Whether a roller-coaster ride through 'Handful of Keys' or a meditation on 'Rose Room', Skoler speaks confidently with a poignantly transparent and vibrant sound."

"There's nothing new about Benny Goodman small-group tributes. What's new about this one is how little the clarinetist, though working with familiar repertoire in a Swing framework, actually tries to sound like Benny. Harry Skoler has a discernibly more modern timbre than anyone from Benny's generation. Yet he never falls into the clinical-clarinetisms that occasionally afflicted even such luminaries as Buddy DeFranco. Strongly recommended."

"This is an album which should appeal to those who dig swing classics played with a fresh approach."

"Skoler's quartet is tight...and has a strong sound grounded in the harmonic interplay between Skoler and vibraphonist Ed Saindon. Their romping arrangement of 'Flying Home' is stunning."

"...Skoler plays flawlessly throughout...His beautifully contoured, well-modulated soft tone, his trills and tremolos, his fluency over the instrument's vast terrain are all worthy of commendation..."

"Clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Harry Skoler, splendidly assisted by a world-class rhythm team, proves that he has somehow acquired the musical sensibilities of an earlier era on his Reflections on the Art of Swing: A Tribute to Benny Goodman."

"... a worthy tribute to the great master...Benny would have been proud..." "...absolutely gripping, taking the listener by the hand and heart through a caressing tribute to a great man and musician....the quartet deserve and reward dedicated attention. This is real music and it's great music."

"The disc, Reflections on the Art of Swing, swings but also soothes, with Skoler and his cohorts displaying a high degree of musical empathy."

"While the spirit of the great band leader is never far from Skoler's clarinet playing, it's the chemistry between the band, vibraphonist Ed Saindon, bassist Roger Kimball, and drummer Tim Gilmore, that makes the disc one of the most enjoyable of the year."

"Skoler is a skilled reedman...the group...has its own distinctive sound, reflecting the arranging skills of all four members."

"...Harry Skoler shows his mastery of the clarinet on Reflections..."

"...good versions of Goodman...'Flying Home' is particularly strong ..."

"Refreshing 'new,' old sound"

"I like this record a lot - just as good as the last one...Nice arrangements and lots of style."

"Damn fine!"

"Good reflection of Benny."

"Wonderful recording."

"Nice traditional sound."

"I love Harry's music and can't wait to have him in the studio for an interview!"

"Looking forward to getting Harry back on the show soon. I hope I can help you get him booked out here in the mid-west."

"He plays a fantastic clarinet and has a fine quartet"

"When Harry Skoler plays you can hear him smiling. He infuses Benny Goodman's music with his own unique sound and energy. Benny must be smiling, too."

"Harry offers up another outstanding album, and a fitting tribute to the master, Benny Goodman."

"This new compact disk by clarinetist Harry Skoler is quite unique . . . In this age of fusion and MIDI, Skoler's clarinet finds home base on each of these tracks. His Interpretations and solos take the listener back to the heart of jazz . . . Anchored by Kimball's and Gilmore's solid playing, Skoler and Saindon have produced an excellent CD."

"Skoler has a cool sound on clarinet...Ed Saindon blends well with Skoler while Kimball and Gilmore are fine in support. The result is a likable and quiet group sound... the performances are consistently tasteful."

"Fortunately, there are still some artists out there who combine an understanding of the roots of jazz with musical talent to match. One such is clarinetist Harry Skoler. In "Conversations" Skoler puts it all together with meticulous rendering of classics... while the others (Saindon, Kimball and Gilmore) do accompany Skoler's solo work, they also stand out as truly talented individuals, creating a musical consensus. This recording is a conversation among four musicians whose instruments speak for them."

"Skoler displays a mastery of his instrument and a sweet, laid back attack. Contributing to this refined atmosphere is vibist Ed Saindon, who complements Skoler beautifully, most notably in the interplay on the extended title track original. If you enjoy delicate and sweet music, this disk should rate high."

"...the sound is sweet, melodic, and solidly swinging. The interplay between clarinetist Harry Skoler and vibist Ed Saindon is intricate and playful anchored by the solid rhythm section of Roger Kimball on bass and Tim Gilmore on drums."

"This gently swinging set is easily enjoyable. It is to Skoler's credit that, even on the Benny Goodman associated material, his own musical personality shines through. There is no question that Harry Skoler is his own man."

"Skoler is a player on the move, he's ready and armed. A good collection of tracks, Conversations... should definitively bring a wind of opportunities to this artist."

"While the rest of the jazz world seemingly runs toward the crossover line with alto saxes armed and ready for the next commercial oodles of noodles fest, clarinetist Harry Skoler stands as a breed apart. A perfect cabin fever album... Conversations is imbued with a kind of restraint that has a laid back charm all its own that's very, very listenable. File under cool."

"The conversations between soloists are the heart of this disc. There is real interaction between the musicians, not just everyone reciting his part and soloing when the time comes."