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Trombone | Tuba | Bass Trombone | Euphonium | Sacqueboute

  REVIEWS  

BRAVO Duets w/Myself

WALT WEISKOPF, May 2012

Bargeron’s Duets will certainly be of particular interest in the trombone and tuba world. It’s also true the recording is so tastefully executed that jazz fans will appreciate this artist’s loyalty to the legacy of his craft. This recording is a window into the big talent and big heart of one of the most respected musicians on the New York scene today and for the past 40 years.                  


CONRAD HERWIG

Dave Bargeron is a "Trombonist's" Trombonist...This CD is a must-listen for all aspiring Bone players and Tubists and is a highly welcomed release for those of us who are already fans of the Bargeron sound. In his new CD, B.R.A.V.O. Duets, his energy, creative spirit, and musical depth are showcased throughout this recording.  I highly recommend B.R.A.V.O. Duets and know that you will thoroughly enjoy Dave Bargeron's latest CD.


LOU PAPPAS

Pertaining to Dave Bargeron, we have a musician who is a triple threat-Trombone, Tuba, and now Double Bass. Congratulations (and “Bravo!”) to Dave for a successful recording of virtuosic duets with himself -- no mean feat!


MIKE RICHMOND

It's a given that Dave is considered one the foremost figures in the brass world, both on trombone and tuba. B.R.A.V.O. Duets has broken new ground for a duet recording, with virtuosic trombone solos over bass or tuba played by the same person. Varied tempos and styles of each track allow for a flowing listening experience from beginning to end. Itʼs no surprise that with Daveʼs imagination and creative intelligence this project enters uncharted territory. Congratulations on a beautiful and very musical experience.


LEW SOLOFF

Frankly, he is one of the most awesome musicians I have ever played with. His sense of music is incredible, his ears are so good it's scary, and on top of this he is a total virtuoso. I cannot give too many superlatives about his ears, time, and heart when he plays.....and originality in his playing and great writing...then the B.R.A.V.O. invention! This recording is a great representation of what Dave can do on originals, jazz standards and standards. It is a wonderful document for all to enjoy and the recording is made with love. There is not a single weak track. How could there be? It's Dave and Dave!


HOWARD JOHNSON

For me, this recording is an accumulation of things lying in wait for many years. Everything keeps developing with this guy. I love it when he pulls another great passage out of his hat!


TubaTuba (Dave Bargeron & Michel Godard)

YORKSHIRE POST, ENGLAND, 2/02
..if anyone needed further proof of the wit and originality of Jazz coming out of Europe, this wonderful session recorded in Cologne provides it....stately readings of Bargeron's originals, "Valencia" and "Joanda" are quite lyrical and heartfelt. ..they prove the Tuba can fly on "Giant Steps" and "Donna Lee'.  TubaTuba is a session of quality Jazz that's delightfully different..

JAZZ REVIEW, U.K., 2/02
..."To Be Tuba" opens the album with a strong backbeat and some unlikely funk: " Valencia" is in a jaunty, loose Latin feel [and]  "Giant Steps" and "Donna Lee" get a witty treatment.

BIRMINGHAM POST, U.K., 3/02
..Two tubas, accordian and drums makes for a fresh sound...the giant horns jump from lead line to partners in harmony to pumping bassline at the drop of a crochet....then there is the jaw-droppingly adept way in which they negotiate the tricky melody of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" and Miles Davis' "Donna Lee"...it has large doses of virtuoso stuff to please all tuba anoraks.

(Concert Review) Jazz Archives, 5/03
It was a virtuoso concert that the listeners at the Lindener Jazz Club heard on Monday May 5th.  Bargeron and Godard and their multi-phonics on the piece "Sweet Georgia Brown" brought jazz on the tuba to new dimensions....

(Concert Review) Birdland,  Neuberg Germany, 2/5/03

 “…Godard played a breathtaking piece of art titled “Bass Bees” with the oxygen leaving his body through the tuba as vitalizing, exciting music…

 

…jaws remained open for the delivery of “Mur Mure” when Godard played the Serpent [an ancestor of the tuba] and Bargeron played the sacquebut [the ancestor of the trombone].

 

….they remove the tuba from obscurity and prove that even this brass behemoth can make you dance.

 

…both horns push themselves like rays of light through tight, yet transparent arrangements.

 

…through the finely chiseled accordion of Biondini, the music is experienced in pleasant, almost sacred tones. 

 

….the two tuba players are accompanied by the eloquent Italian Luciano Biondini on accordion, and the loose, swinging, American Kenwood Dennard on drums.

 

…the two horns wind themselves together in a style of charming ice dancers naturally and masterfully producing elegant, dynamic energy.  A  crystal clear 6.0 for artistic value and expression…"


Jazz Podium, 2/02

 …a competitor of the “Gravity” ensemble, David Bargeron together with Michel Godard have opened a new chapter regarding tuba groups.  Bargeron writes lovely melodies like “Soji” and his solo flights bring only joyous reflections of his persona.

 

…Godard’s solo perfection called “Bass Bees” is unbelievable!

 

…with all the differences in style by these two, a special mix of sounds and ideas is made possible together.


JazzThetik, 4/02 

 …The natural tendency to dismiss the combination of 2 tubas, accordion  and drums is quickly laid to rest.  The sound has been duly noted and presents itself as most pleasing and matter-of-fact.  Simply, To Be Tuba.


Fono Forum, 2/02 

 …Light, flowing, entertaining music provides a lot of fun…and convincing musical freshness.


Jazz UK, 3/02
A fun album..."To Be Tuba" opens the album with a strong backbeat and some unlikely funk; "Valencia" is in a loose Latin feel.  "Giant Steps" and "Donna Lee" get a brilliant treatment.ent.

Jazz , 6/02

 …Dave Bargeron and Michel Godard have created a deep swinging quartet!


Jazz Thing, 1/02

 …The path is free to change Jazz history and with a furious version of “Giant Steps” the proof is given that you can play Coltrane’s harmonic killer on the tuba.


Musik Magazin, 2/02

 …Bargeron and Godard jump like gazelles through the Savannah of their music.  This is a creation of new dimensions!


Barge Burns, Slide Flies 

Downbeat Magazine, 4/96 reviewed by Herb Boyd
In the mid-70s, when trombonist Dave Bargeron and pianist Larry Willis were mainstays of the soul group Blood Sweat & Tears, they expressed skills that seemed to reach beyond the genre.  Those inclinations are fully realized on this reunion jazz date, and right away Bargeron presents his formidable chops on the opening tune, attacking "Gussie Blues" with a delightful, punchy assertiveness....
 
Bargeron is sweet and lovely on "Holly's Song", investing the tender ballad with the full range of tonal colors.  Willis coaxes the rhythm section gently in and around the trombone's gilded notes providing additional mood and nuance.....
 
..Willis' "Children of Harlem" is an expressive, sonata-like composition with enough juice for the entire quartet, and each has his moment before they resume cobbling a most dramatic performance.  This is worth the price of admission.

Jazz Times, 4/96
...Bargeron is a virtuoso.  The opener, his "Gussie Blues" illustrates much of his arsenal:  broad melodies, squealing climaxes, and splashy landings, machine-gunning articulation, and an extroverted sense of humor...on the final tune, "Blue Autumn", Willis and Bargeron turn as lovely and placid as a melody by Debussy....these cats cover the waterfront;  and if you haven't heard Bargeron lately, you've been missing someone who deserves far greater recognition among the trombonists of today.
(Copyright © JazzTimes, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission)

Modern Drummer, 1/96
Big-toned Dave "Barge" Bargeron has recorded with artists from Miles Davis to Mick Jagger.  As a hired-gun trombonist he's a busy man in New York as well as one of the handful ...who can swing a tuba.  Barge's range and speed can be startling, but there's no showboating;  it's his soulful sound and lucid ideas that make the music.  And his ballad playing is downright gorgeous.  A long overdue disc, this first solo effort also illuminates his fine composing. 
 
Since their days together with Gil Evans and Jaco, Barge and Kenwood Dennard have enjoyed an ongoing musical brotherhood.  By choice, the recording process for this session was defiantly low-tech, allowing a raw, spontaneous club gig sound and feel.  This is a great setting to hear Kenwood rip with a straight-ahead quartet.  Listen to how he digs in on the up-tempo bopper B.R.A.V.O. with a fierce last-day-on-earth drive, elegantly ushers "Holly's Song" through an extra-slow tempo, and injects hip Latin grooves into Mexicali Pose.  Although listeners can check out Kenwood on an increasing number of high-profile discs, this session truly captures the sweat flying off his sticks.

Stereophile, 12/95
Dave Bargeron turns in an intense set of originals...my favorite moment is "Holly's Song", an 8 1/2 -minute love letter to his wife.  The impassioned trombone anchored by an introspective piano must surely reflect the relationship itself.

Cadence, 4/96
...Bargeron has chops galore.  Listen to the way he pops a clear, in-tune triple high C at the end of "There is No Greater Love"...He never tries to tame his horn like so many trombone players seem intent on doing, yet he executes long multi-note lines.  For this he uses his own invention (echoes of tinkerer Jack Teagarden) the B.R.A.V.O. (Bargeron Rapid Articulation Valve Option).  As with his prodigious technique, the device is always used musically.

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