Trumpeter John Daversa Returns with Crackling Small Group Outing ?Artful Joy?(BFM Jazz) a Potent Follow up to Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 25, 2012

On the heels of 2011?s high-energy, take-no-prisoners, boundary-stretching Junk Wagon: The Big Band Album, acclaimed L.A.-based trumpeter-composer-arranger John Daversa scales things back for his upbeat follow up, Artful Joy. ?It was difficult trying to find the right album name for this one,? says Daversa, who has been leading a big band and small group concurrently for the past six years. ?I didn?t realize how much in the spirit of deep happiness and joy that it was until it was done. It?s been a very fertile, wonderful year and I think this album is a reflection of that.?

Special guests Bob Mintzer and Gretchen Parlato appear on two tracks alongside Daversa?s working group of tenor saxophonist Robby Marshall, keyboardists Tommy King and Brandon Coleman, guitarist Zane Carney, bassist Jerry Watts and drummer Gene Coye. Together they take listeners on a musical journey that travels from the opening go-for-it jam ?Seven Grand? (named for the club in downtown Los Angeles where the band regularly performs) to the gospel-tinged ?No Frets, No Worries,? the raucous, tambourine-shaking second line number ?C?mon Robby Marshall!? (a showcase for the outstanding tenor player), the hard-boppish ?Rhythm Changers? (featuring Mintzer on bass clarinet) and the anthemic closer ?Some Happy S*#t.? Other highlights on Artful Joy include the gently moving ?Hara Angelina? (written for Daversa?s newborn daughter and featuring the affecting wordless vocals of Parlato), the thoughtful waltz-time ballad ?Moonlight Muse,? the ultra-slow-grooving ?Flirty Girl? and the mysterious soundscape-ish ?Players Only? (featuring some beautiful muted trumpet playing by the leader).

One other tune on Artful Joy, the emotionally-charged ?Good to be Alive,? was directly inspired by a session that Daversa played on for an album by gospel great Andra