Chris Walden – Home of my Heart (Band members include: Pete Christlieb, tenor; Wayne Bergeron, Carl Saunders & Bobby Shew, tp; Bob McChesney, tb; Alan Steinberger, p.; Dave Carpenter, dr.) – Origin

by | Oct 30, 2005 | Jazz CD Reviews | 0 comments

Chris Walden – Home of my Heart  (Band members
include: Pete Christlieb, tenor; Wayne Bergeron, Carl Saunders &
Bobby Shew, tp; Bob McChesney, tb; Alan Steinberger, p.; Dave
Carpenter, dr.)  – Origin – 16,   77:35 ****: 

Chris Walden is a film score writer from Los Angeles and at a young
(for a big band leader) 38, has hit a home run with his big band Origin
cd, Home of My Heart. Recorded at the venerable Capitol Studios in
Hollywood and featuring the cream of the crop top LA session men,
Walden’s CD swings mightily and his big band connects on a mix of well
known big band standards as well as Walden originals. The maturity
level of Walden is impressive and the charts used have an enveloping
fullness that is brought out by ace engineer, Al Schmitt.

Charlie Haden’s Quartet West nugget: Here’s Looking at You and Ray
Noble’s Cherokee are given first rate treatment. And anyone who tackles
Oliver Nelson’s Stolen Moments is A-OK in my book. Walden is also
fearless enough to take on and make John Williams Star Wars theme work
in a jazz big band setting. Kudos to Chris Walden for one of the best
mainstream big band sessions of the past few years. If only he could
take this band on the road…..

Tracks: Cherokee,  Rainy Day in Vancouver, Film Noir, Pt. 1, Film
Noir, Pt. 2, Film Noir, Pt. 3,  Mulholland Falls Grusin, Here’s
Looking at You, Star Wars, Home of My Heart, Feet First, Here’s That
Rainy Day,  How Long Has This Been Going On, Nonino Blazquez, You
Took Advantage of Me, Stolen Moments, Dr. Stefan.

– Jeff Krow

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