Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster
…Masters recomposes his chosen material in ways that open fresh insight into both the mind of the original composer and the mind of Mark Masters…The “Baron” in the title is Art Baron, who occupied the Ellington band’s plunger trombone chair in August 1973, when he was 23. He was the last trombonist that Duke hired…Baron is the featured soloist here…it is fun to discover, track after track, Masters’ unexpected angles on Ellington…
- Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times
BEST OF 2021 Large Ensemble
- The New York City Jazz Record
It will not take long for those listening to this new album to appreciate the prodigious inventions in Masters’ arrangements…what makes Masters’ arrangements particularly interesting is that he counts on the familiarity of a tune to the extent that he can challenge the listener to find it…
- Stephen Smoliar, The Rehearsal Studio
…inspiration is carried forward by the brilliant arranger and bandleader Mark Masters, who revisits the music of the Blanton-Webster Band on his latest album, reimagining these classic compositions with his unique interpretation…
- Last Row Music
If this album makes you dig deeper to find the original (Ellington) sessions, it has done its job well.
- George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
It takes a brave man to offer fresh interpretations of Ellington’s music and do it without falling short. Fortunately, Masters manages to pull it off…whether you’re a devout Ellingtonian or just a mere fan its an album well worth checking out.
- Lance, bebop spoken here