Joe Mazzaferro's music has one foot in tradition and one foot in the future!
On February, 9th 2018 Sacramento CA native, trumpeter, composer, educator and arranger Joe Mazzaferro released his debut CD In Terms Of... on his own Joe Mazz Music label with special guest Jeff Clayton and featuring Donald Brown and Carl Allen!
Joe Mazzaferro was raised in a musical household. As Joe states “both of my parents were musicians and me and my 3 sisters all played. My father is a retired high school band director (who still teaches) as well as an active musician. I would often tag along with him to performances and recording sessions! Being around music all the time was just a normal thing so I naturally was drawn to it and wanted to find my own voice"!
Finding that voice started in high school for Joe but it was while attending Cazadero Music Camp in Cazadero California “that was the place that I truly discovered my passion for music. I’ve been there every summer since 1995"!
After his formal studies including a Bachelor's of Music in Music Education from the University of the Pacific and a Master’s of Music in Jazz and Studio Music from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, while there Joe also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the jazz program. He also arranged regularly for the University of Tennessee Jazz Ensemble. Joe returned to his native Sacramento and begin his life as a teacher of music and playing local and regional gigs.
The idea to record this dazzling body of work that is now In Terms Of... “came up when I invited Jeff Clayton to perform with my University students as well as with a group of musicians from the area. His response was that he wanted to do it but challenged us to put together a recording so that our efforts in putting a performance together wouldn’t go unnoticed" Joe reflects.
Thankfully Joe heeded the suggestion of Jeff Clayton and as you'll witness with In Terms Of... the opening title track and the first of Joe's 6 original compositions as it lifts off with a burning tempo and immaculate, soloing from Joe and Jeff and a rhythm full of fire!
It was this tune that led off this years Jazz Jukebox Jury at the Jazz Congress Convention help at Jazz At Lincoln Center and all the panelist gave it thumbs way up!!
It's quite encouraging to hear Joe Mazzaferro's very mature and original trumpet and flugelhorn sound on his debut release certainly on this opening tune but also throughout the nine tune set!
As much ablaze as track 1 is, the following tune “E" For Eleanora, has Joe switching to flugelhorn that he also plays on tracks 3,4 & 5, is a tender and melodic tune but swings so soulfully! The combination of Joe Mazzaferro and Jeff Clayton flowing beautifully together as Cannonball and Nat Adderley once did!
Another treasure in this gem soaked package is Mulgrew Miller's Holding Hands with the great Donald Brown on piano! And speaking of greatness master drummer Carl Allen makes his In Terms Of... debut on track 8 and it's great to hear this master at work. And as well it's great to hear such a masterful arrangement as is here!
Also, on tracks 4 and 8 Joe has elected to expand the music with the addition of soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, plus trombone and french horn and the result is not only a testament of the leaders superb arranging ability and as Joe concludes “I wanted the album to really showcase my abilities, so I thought it would be great to add these two compositions that had a lot of color to them and had a balance between improvisation and composition"!
While In Terms Of... is full of moods, tempo's and again colors, Jeff Clayton's contribution Wild Man will no doubt shift it's way to the top of most radio playlist! Both Brenden Lowe and Tim Metz provide a strong percussive punch for Joe and Jeff to ride to a thunderous finish!
Speaking of thunderous, Joe Mazzaferro has assembled an exquisite group of incredible musicians including pianist Brenden Lowe, Tim Metz on drums and Chris Amberger on bass. They form the nucleus that really locks this musc snugly in place.
In Terms Of...ends with Dark Heart Beat just like it started with Joe Mazzaferro's trumpet and Jeff Clayton's alto saxophone musing together and telling their individual stories.
And before you know it it's all over leaving you wanting for more and you'll find yourself hitting play to start all over again!!
Joe Mazzaferro was raised in a musical household. As Joe states “both of my parents were musicians and me and my 3 sisters all played. My father is a retired high school band director (who still teaches) as well as an active musician. I would often tag along with him to performances and recording sessions! Being around music all the time was just a normal thing so I naturally was drawn to it and wanted to find my own voice"!
Finding that voice started in high school for Joe but it was while attending Cazadero Music Camp in Cazadero California “that was the place that I truly discovered my passion for music. I’ve been there every summer since 1995"!
After his formal studies including a Bachelor's of Music in Music Education from the University of the Pacific and a Master’s of Music in Jazz and Studio Music from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, while there Joe also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the jazz program. He also arranged regularly for the University of Tennessee Jazz Ensemble. Joe returned to his native Sacramento and begin his life as a teacher of music and playing local and regional gigs.
The idea to record this dazzling body of work that is now In Terms Of... “came up when I invited Jeff Clayton to perform with my University students as well as with a group of musicians from the area. His response was that he wanted to do it but challenged us to put together a recording so that our efforts in putting a performance together wouldn’t go unnoticed" Joe reflects.
Thankfully Joe heeded the suggestion of Jeff Clayton and as you'll witness with In Terms Of... the opening title track and the first of Joe's 6 original compositions as it lifts off with a burning tempo and immaculate, soloing from Joe and Jeff and a rhythm full of fire!
It was this tune that led off this years Jazz Jukebox Jury at the Jazz Congress Convention help at Jazz At Lincoln Center and all the panelist gave it thumbs way up!!
It's quite encouraging to hear Joe Mazzaferro's very mature and original trumpet and flugelhorn sound on his debut release certainly on this opening tune but also throughout the nine tune set!
As much ablaze as track 1 is, the following tune “E" For Eleanora, has Joe switching to flugelhorn that he also plays on tracks 3,4 & 5, is a tender and melodic tune but swings so soulfully! The combination of Joe Mazzaferro and Jeff Clayton flowing beautifully together as Cannonball and Nat Adderley once did!
Another treasure in this gem soaked package is Mulgrew Miller's Holding Hands with the great Donald Brown on piano! And speaking of greatness master drummer Carl Allen makes his In Terms Of... debut on track 8 and it's great to hear this master at work. And as well it's great to hear such a masterful arrangement as is here!
Also, on tracks 4 and 8 Joe has elected to expand the music with the addition of soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, plus trombone and french horn and the result is not only a testament of the leaders superb arranging ability and as Joe concludes “I wanted the album to really showcase my abilities, so I thought it would be great to add these two compositions that had a lot of color to them and had a balance between improvisation and composition"!
While In Terms Of... is full of moods, tempo's and again colors, Jeff Clayton's contribution Wild Man will no doubt shift it's way to the top of most radio playlist! Both Brenden Lowe and Tim Metz provide a strong percussive punch for Joe and Jeff to ride to a thunderous finish!
Speaking of thunderous, Joe Mazzaferro has assembled an exquisite group of incredible musicians including pianist Brenden Lowe, Tim Metz on drums and Chris Amberger on bass. They form the nucleus that really locks this musc snugly in place.
In Terms Of...ends with Dark Heart Beat just like it started with Joe Mazzaferro's trumpet and Jeff Clayton's alto saxophone musing together and telling their individual stories.
And before you know it it's all over leaving you wanting for more and you'll find yourself hitting play to start all over again!!
