Mike Fahn: Close Your Eyes... And Listen
BY JACK BOWERS
I first heard valve trombonist Mike Fahn some years ago on an album led by the wonderful tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper and was duly impressed. "There’s a player to watch," I said to myself. Great chops, lovely sound, quick reflexes, singular voice. Been watching ever since but apart from occasional appearances as a sideman on others’ albums I’d heard little from Fahn until Close Your Eyes... and Listen arrived in the mail.
Fahn moved (or, more accurately, returned) to NYC in ’93 with his wife, bassist Mary Ann McSweeney, and has stayed busy while keeping a relatively low profile, touring with Tom Harrell and Bill Mobley, working with his own groups and teaching in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Jazz for Teens program. Although Fahn released an album called Steppin’ Out back in ’89, he says he considers Close Your Eyes his bona fide debut.
Having closed my eyes... and listened (of course!), I am happy to report that there is much about the album to admire. Fahn is as expressive and nimble as ever, he and tenor Rick Margitza form a compatible front line (on tracks 2, 4, 6, 8), guitarist Steve Cardenas (1, 3, 5–7) is tasteful and melodic, while pianist Charles Blenzig, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Tim Horner furnish ample rhythmic muscle without getting in anyone’s way (I’m especially fond of Horner’s alert and adaptable approach).
What is missing, to these ears, are any songs (except the last one) that produce more than a lukewarm impression. The two by Anderson (the snappy “Will Call,” boppish “On Time”) come closest. The others, McSweeney’s “Without Changes,” Margitza’s “Heart Forest,” Keith Jarrett’s “Survivor’s Suite” and two others co-authored by Fahn and McSweeney (“The Burren,” “Get Sparky”), are nicely written but lack whatever it takes to inscribe them in one’s memory for more than a moment or two.
On the other hand, they do give everyone generous blowing space, and that’s a good thing, as Fahn and his colleagues are first-class improvisers. Blenzig’s synth lends an ethereal quality to “Changes,” while Fahn introduces “The Burren” (inspired by beautiful cliffs he and McSweeney saw while traveling in Ireland) with a lovely a cappella “chorale” produced by overdubbing slide trombones.
Fahn says he conceived the album as a showcase for his range, and in that goal he has succeeded, as he has in establishing “an over-all aura of dark reverie,” underlined especially by “Changes,” “Survivor’s Suite,” “Heart Forest” and “The Burren.” Thoughtful pieces all, and well worth the time it takes to appraise them. An exemplary album for those who don’t need unrelenting fireworks to command their attention.
Contact: Sparky 1 Productions, 817 Greenwood Avenue, #2, Brooklyn, NY 11218. Phone 718-437-7333; e-mail mjfsparky1@aol.com; web site, www.mikefahn.com. Distributed also by North Country, Cadence Building, Redwood, NY 13679-9612; phone 315-287-2852; e-mail slim@cadencebuilding.com. Web site, www.cadencebuilding.com
Track Listing
Without Changes; Will Call; Survivor
Personnel
Mike Fahn, valve trombone, slide trombone overdub (5); Rick Margitza (2, 4, 6, 8), tenor sax; Steve Cardenas (1, 3, 5-7), guitar; Charles Blenzig, piano (4, 8), synth (1, 3, 6, 7); Jay Anderson, bass; Tim Horner, drums.
Mike Fahn
"Close Your Eyes and Listen"
Review by Brad Walseth
The trombone is a notoriously difficult instrument to play, and there have been relatively few "stars" in the jazz world. Among the most prominent was J.J. Johnson - whose association with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis led him to become the most important and influential trombonist of the bop era - and the one who brought the trombone into prominence as a equal solo instrument within jazz. Since Johnson, Curtis Fuller heralded the trombone's role in the hard bop arena. There have certainly been others of talent, but not many are household names. Among the current generation Delfeayo Marsalis, Steve Turre and Chris Washburne are among those keeping the tradition alive, while taking the instrument into the future. Another name on the list of greats certainly would have to be Bob Brookmeyer - whose associations with Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz and the West Coast scene merits inclusion. Brookmeyer also was different in that he played a valve trombone as opposed to the usual slide version of the instrument. NYC trombonist Mike Fahn also plays the valve trombone, and his tone and technique make one wonder why this wonderful instrument is not heard more often.
The word trombone comes from the Italian meaning "Big Trumpet," and in Fahn's hands that description is most accurate. Originally a trumpeter, Fahn switched to baritone horn, then to slide trombone, before finding his true instrument. A move to Los Angeles in his teens, was fortuitous, as he began to play in various big band and small combo ensembles around the area. He worked with Shorty Rogers, Bob Cooper, Jack Sheldon and Chet Baker, and credits West Coasters Don Menza, Dick Berg and Maynard Ferguson as early influences. Since relocating back to New York, Fahn has been an in-demand sideman and teacher. "Close Your Eyes,,, and Listen" is his second release as bandleader.
Fahn's wife, the noted jazz bassist Mary Ann McSweeney is an obvious influence on her husband, and her "Without Changes" opens the album in striking fashion with this strong yet moody number. Bassist Jay Anderson (who plays on this project) brings his composition "Will Call" to the table, and this uptempo number features Fahn trading fiery solos with tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza. Guitarist Steve Cardenas trades chops with Fahn on half the album (when Margitza sits out) and the version of Keith Jarrett's "Survivor's Suite" is especially delicious. Throughout this song, and indeed the album as a whole, Fahn impresses with his bronze tone and masterful command of his instrument.
"Heart Forest" is a delightful and jaunty tune provided by Margitza, who solos at his best over pianist Charles Blenzig's fine accompaniment. Fahn repays his saxman, with his charming and richly developed solo. "The Burren" is co-written by Fahn with his wife, and features the trombonist overdubbing himself on slide trombones to create a trombone choir. It is a beautiful almost classical piece based on scenic cliffs they visited in Ireland, and Fahn's graceful, haunting playing over Cardenas' shimmering guitar can help one imagine the view.
The husband and wife team also collaborated on "Get Sparky" and Anderson, Cardenas and steady drummer Tim Horner lay down a funky groove for Fahn and Margitza to spiral over, and the results are addictive. Anderson's "On Time" is a bluesy number where Fahn simply shines and Cardenas riffs nicely along. Bernice Petkere's standard, "Close Your Eyes" closes out this strong and consistently enjoyable recording with nice work from Fahn, Blenzig and Margitza and the admirable rhythm section. In the end, although the trombone is tricky to play, the results in the right hands can be immensely rewarding with its full and beautiful timbre. In Mike Fahn, we have a modern master of the valve trombone, and I recommend this recording to anyone who loves the smoothly velvet tones of a well-played "Big Trumpet."