The Bill Tiberio Band recently released their new live album “Brothers,” which excellently captures the spirit and emotion of a live concert. This new CD is available for purchase at the UR bookstore.
Albums are nearly permanent records of a concert. However, the cheers and claps in support of the performers, which often make the show a greater experience, are usually missing. The Bill Tiberio Band’s new live album “Brothers,” captures that spirit as best as possible. Each of the ten tracks brings a unique vibe to the collection, yet the blend of tunes and the order in which they are presented create a great album.
“The Way Out,” composed by the band’s very own Scott Bradley, is the first track on the CD. It grabs the listener with a funky, electric feel. Bill Tiberio’s saxophone runs, improvisations, and full sound sail over the background instruments. This piece is a great opener because it provides great energy and stirs excitement in the audience. After the sudden ending, the listeners do not hold back nor do they hesitate to applaud, and are left begging for more.
The second tune is another Bradley original, “Hero,” which changes the atmosphere to feel a bit more relaxed with a singing saxophone introduction and a warm piano accompaniment, while still keeping an innate energy. The electric guitar carries over some similar funky rhythms from those used in “The Way Out,” making this piece a perfect follow-up. The applause and cheering heard even in the middle of the tune is far from distracting — in jazz concerts, the audience puts its hands together to show support after each soloist. Therefore, including the audio of the applause makes the recording exponentially more authentic than it would be otherwise.
“Travels” is the third tune, and it is significantly slower than the previous two pieces. Tiberio’s beautiful expressions sound over the other instruments and create a gorgeous melody in which the listener can close his or her eyes and become lost in the music. The band is clearly talented because it masters multiple different styles of jazz, as this tune does not exemplify that same funky feel that the first two embodied.
The fifth track, “Watching the River Flow,” brings about some new elements such as unison playing between the group members on the head of the piece. The music is more reminiscent of a traditional blues feel. If one piece on this album makes you want to get up and dance, this is the one.
“Brothers” is the sixth track, as well as the title track. Just as the second track carries over elements from the first, “Brothers” transitions perfectly from “Watching the River Flow,” because the tune also employs unison playing. The piece is warm and relaxing, yet still playful. It demonstrates how the players interact musically, with great intimacy, like brothers.
The eighth track, “More Like Her,” is potentially the sexiest tune on the album. The tempo is slow, but filled with motion, and the saxophone immediately introduces note-bending, as well as grunts up to high notes within the second grouping of eight measures.
The drum set, accenting beats two and four with the cymbals, keeps the steady pace right where it needs to be to maintain such sensuality.
“Solo,” is a magnificent finale to the album as it leaves the listener in complete bliss while communicating seamlessly that the musicians themselves thoroughly enjoyed playing for a live studio audience.
If you have never listened to some of today’s best jazz musicians, the Bill Tiberio Band’s album, “Brothers,” is one that you should get your hands on. Copies are now available at UR’s bookstore. This album of a live performance is a spectacular CD for jazz lovers, and a perfect example of how moving jazz can be.
Seligman is a member of the class of 2012.
