Alto saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio writes inviting, cool bop heads that lend themselves readily to improvisation. Jazz soloing tends to feed on the energy of a live audience, which is why albums like Selvaggio’s new Live From The Bop Stop are so exciting. Selvaggio has considerable experience in the control room—10 previous studio albums as a bandleader, actually—but with this latest effort, on Dot Time Records, he drops his first live release. Taped at Cleveland’s Bop Stop at the Music Settlement, an intimate venue overlooking Lake Erie, the recording captures a radiant connectivity between Selvaggio and the room that’s hard to replicate in a studio.
The appeal of Selvaggio’s work stems as much from his dexterous playing as his clean writing. On the buoyant waltz “Hope,” for example, he moves dynamically along the swing-bop continuum—soloing fiercely, syncing in unison, laying out—before falling into an impassioned repartee with guest guitarist Dan Wilson on the outro. You can’t not listen.
Selvaggio’s rhythm section, all unyielding musicians when it comes to feel, provided ample horsepower for the evening’s performance; Selvaggio wisely accorded them generous amounts of time in the spotlight. Some standout moments: drummer Zaire Darden’s solo, a fusillade of unerring strikes, on the electronically impressionistic “Spy Movie”; pianist Theron Brown’s extended improvisation on “Bella,” peppered with incidental blues riffs and briskly articulated scales; and bassist Paul Thompson’s joyous solo on Selvaggio’s elegant arrangement of Lennon/McCartney’s “Blackbird.”
Of late, Selvaggio has been moving into writing for woodwind sections; in line with this interest, he opened and closed the album with tunes featuring four additional horns. These tunes—“Times A’Changing” and “Too Soon”—gave Selvaggio the opportunity to experiment with some warm chordal blends. This broader palette suits his sleek aesthetic, certainly, and opens a window to some new sonic possibilities for this versatile musician.
Live From the Bop Stop: Times A Changin’; Hope; Run Away; Deniable Plausibility; Spy Movie; Blackbird; Bella; Too Soon (1:17:56).
Personnel: Bobby Selvaggio, alto saxophone and pedals; Theron Brown, piano, keyboards; Zaire Darden, drums; Paul Thompson, acoustic and electric bass; Dan Wilson, electric guitar (tracks 2, 3); Tommy Lehman, flugelhorn (tracks 1, 8); Liz Carney, clarinet (tracks 1, 8); Summer Cantor, bassoon (tracks 1, 8); Kent Larmee, horn in F (tracks 1, 8).
(Reprinted from the June issue of Downbeat magazine)