Hugh Ragin Trumpet Ensemble - Fanfare & Fiesta (CD)

All Music Guide

Perhaps one of the more under-recognized jazz trumpeters of the '90s, Hugh Ragin has spent quality time performing with the late trumpeter Lester Bowie, bassist John Lindberg, multi-woodwind specialists Roscoe Mitchell, David Murray, and others of note. With his second release for Canada-based Justin Time records, the leader surges forward with a four-trumpet front line, also featuring the legendary Clark Terry, who lends his estimable wares on two pieces. The band commences with a Count Basie-style swing groove on the opener, "Finger Filibuster," as pianist Craig Taborn seemingly pursues a Kansas City jazz-style intro, while the trumpet section launches a bold, brash, and altogether irresistible arrangement. This jubilant approach continues on "Fanfare Fiesta," whereas the horn section engages in a Spanish serenade amid the brass section's punctual statements, that are augmented by some rather slick and apparently difficult to perform unison lines. Basically, Ragin and co. interrogat...e blues-based themes amid emphatic choruses, torrid soloing, slight injections of free jazz, and climactic opuses. Fanfare Fiesta is an audacious and refreshing exposition, supplemented by memorable compositions and the ensemble's often dazzling interplay. Recommended - Glenn Astarita, All Music Guide Read more Less