Project THEM

Mark Sherman and Bob Franceschini
What a magic to see the music grow night after night as the role playing  becomes more and more comfortable each show.(Quote: Mark Sherman) 

Hans Koert

Thirty-five years ago it was a dream for both vibraphonist Mark Sherman and tenor saxophonist Bob Franceschini to found their own band …  Bob Franceschini and I went to the high School of Music and Art in NYC together, and had great aspirations as young musicians to have a “band”, Mark explains in the liner notes of their joint recording, Project THEM, which was released a few months ago.  They reassembled for this project and hit the road playing all over Europe. The music grew and evolved night after night, roles and grooves solidifying, Mark says, Each concert was an act of exploration. Project THEM captures the magic of the band in full fight, honed on the fly from sets on the road.

THEM Project; f.l.t.r.: Mark Sherman, Adam Nussbaum, Bob Franceschini and Martin Gjakonovski ( photo: THEM project)


They labeled it as ...... Project THEM; led by its originators Bob Franceschini and Mark Sherman features Mitchel Forman and the Italian piano player Paolo di Sabatino at the keys – both on half of the tracks; the former also playing the Hammond B3 Organ - the Mazedonian bass player Martin Gjakonowski and Adam Nussbaum on drums. 

A few years ago Mark Sherman surprised with his album The L.A.  Sessions, featuring  Mark Sherman  at the vibes, Bill Cunliffe (Hammond B3 Organ), John Chiodini (guitar) and Charles Ruggiero ( drums).  

Mark Sherman ( promo picture Mark Sherman)

• Mark Sherman is known as a sought after accompanists, who toured with vocalists like Liza Minelli, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis jr., Jon Hendricks, Mel Tormé and Charles Aznavour. He is also active in classical music and teaches as a professor in jazz studies at the Juilliard School of Music and theNew Jersey City University. (Source: Mark Sherman: L.A. Sessions - Hans Koert)  

Adam Nussbaum is a sought after drummer, who recently took part at the Matthew Finck – Jonathan ball project, of which an album entitled It’s Not That Far has been released. 

• Drummer Adam Nussbaum, a percussionist, who started to play the piano, the bass and alto saxophone before he took the drum sticks. He played with John Scofield, David Liebman, Lee Konitz, Michael Brecker  and Conrad Herwig, just to list some – Adam .... remains one of the most sought-after drummers on the cutting edge of the music, theRough Guide to Jazz reads ..... His list of recordings, in which he participated seems to be even more impressive than Anderson’s discography. (Source: Matthew Finck-Jonathan Ball: It's Not That Far - Hans Koert)    

( promo picture Mark Sherman)

Bob Franceschini started his career in the 1980s as a member of bands like the Jens Wendelboe’s New York Big Band and since the 2000s he's performed with Mike Stern and the Yellowjackets. 

Listen to the band performing at the Kitano jazz club in NYC 



Project THEM contains 10 tracks, all but one own compositions. I liked Ma Bo’s Waltz, a Paolo di Sabatino composition with Bob on flute  and  Mark Sherman at the vibes. 

Angular Blues, the final track, a Mark Sherman composition, belongs to my favorites too, as it has a great vibes solo and Minor Turns, with a great tenor solo of the composer ( Bob Franceschini) and Michel Forman on Hammond B3 Organ, whose instrument fits well in the band in these great tracks.  

Thanks Bob and Mark for this great project.

Hans Koert
editor
keepswinging@live.nl
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In fact in started all as a dream .... Two students, vibe player Mark Sherman and saxophonist Bob Franceschini at the High School Of Music and Art in New York City dreamt about their own band ...... Thirty five years  later their dream came true .... The  Mark Sherman - Bob Franceschini quintet released its debut album entitled THEM Project ....... 

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Matthew Finck-Jonathan Ball: It's Not That Far

The Matthew Finck-Jonathan Ball Project debut album (feat. Randy Brecker - Jay Anderson - Adam Nussbaum)
A major milestone in the careers both of Matthew and Jonathan.
Hans Koert

Guitarist Matthew Finck and reed man Jonathan Ball met for the first time at a wedding of a mutual friend and learned that they both had their roots in jazz. They dreamed about founding a band together, but it would last until 2012 before the Matthew Finck-Jonathan Ball project was born ….   Recently they debuted on an album entitled It’s Not That Far, with both leaders and a rhythm section featuring bass player Jay Anderson and Adam Nussbaum drums.  Randy Brecker, featured trumpet player can be heard, as a guest player, in three of the nine tracks.

Matthew Finck (photo courtesy: Michael Weisbrot)

Matthew Finck, born in a musical family (1972), raised with jazz music all around.  His father, Ron Finck is a featured jazz saxophonist, who performed with musicians like Anthony Braxton, Ed Summerlin and trombonist Roswell Rudd; both father and son can be heard in Roswell Rudd’s 1999 album Broad Strokes. Matthew had studied at the Long Island University. Graduated he started a career as an educator and guitarist, performing with musician like Roswell Rudd, Randy Brecker and John Medeski and a sought after accompanist for popular singers like Neil Carter and Tony Martin. He started this project with his friend and colleague saxophone player Jonathan Ball.

Jonathan Ball (photo courtesy: Michael Weisbrot)

Jonathan Ball was born in Hartford, Connecticut and started to play the clarinet at the age of eight; later he took the flute and the alto and baritone saxophone. When he was a student at the Western Michigan University he started to play the tenor saxophone, and with that instrument he debuted on record at the University Jazz oOchestra (  Western Michigan University Jazz Orchestra) (April 1992). He played in Latin Jazz Ensembles with musicians like Tony Perez, Charles Flores and “El Negro” Hernandez, with the Lew Anderson’s Big Band and my favorite Brazil trumpet player Claudio Roditi.

The Matthew Finck-Jonathan Ball project debuted in Marlboro (NY) July 2012 and a month later the album It’s Not That Far was recorded  …..
The album has nine tracks, almost all  composed by the two founders of the band, except The Way You Look Tonight, which is, of course, composed by Jerome Kern. Randy Brecker can be heard in three tracks: Gentle Soul, Conundrum and Geppetto.

The Matthew Finck - Jonathan Ball Project (f.l.t.r. Jay Anderson - Jonathan Ball - Adam Nussbaum - Matthew Finck) (photo courtesy: Bart Thrall )

Both members of the rhythm section are sought after accompanists. From the beginning we knew we wanted Jay and Adam to anchor the group,  the leaders of the band remember. The music simply would not be what it is absent their contributions.   They are perfect foil for any creative musical endeavor. Their advice and sensibilities are priceless  and what you get is an interplay 30 years in the making, Oscar Schnider’s liner notes quote the leaders.  

Photo courtesy:
Hans Koert

 Jay Anderson, born in Ontario (California) October 1955 is active as a bass player since his start early 1970s in the All Southern California Honor Orchestra and was a member of Woody Herman’s Band at tour in Europe, 35 years ago. His discography is impressive with hundreds of recording titles from A ( Toshiko Akiyoshi: Wishing Peace) up to Z ( Three Frank Zappa albums). In Michael Brecker’s Group (1989), he can be heard with drummer Adam Nussbaum, a percussionist, who started to play the piano, the bass and alto saxophone before he took the drum sticks. He played with John Scofield, David Liebman, Lee Konitz and Conrad Herwig, just to list some – Adam .... remains one of the most sought-after drummers on the cutting edge of the music, the Rough Guide to Jazz reads ..... His list of recordings, in which he participated seems to be even more impressive than Anderson’s discography. 

Enjoy the Matthew Finck composition, East 86th, as can be heard at the album: It's Not That Far.


 
An album that will appeal to a large group of jazz fans and the good news is that a second album, which will include a Hammond B3, will be released soon …… I'm anxious to hear that one too.

Hans Koert
editor
keepswinging@live.nl
Follow the Keep (it) Swinging blog at Facebook ( group Keep it Swinging) or Twitter (#keepitswinging) or ask its free newsletter.

They met years ago at a wedding of a mutual friend and it clicked with each other immediately musically, but it would last until 2012 before their debut album was recorded. It's Not That Far has now been released. Saxophonist Jonathan Ball and guitarist Matthew Finck, both active in jazz for decades, found each other in this project, backed with a solid rhythm section featuring two sought-after accompanists .... : Jay Anderson and Adam Nussbaum ...  two versatile instrumentalists, whose discographies almost read like a Who's Who In Jazz History ..... : The Matthew Finck - Jonathan Ball Project (featuring Randy Brecker): It's Not That Far.

 

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