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Brian Charette – Good Tipper – Posi-Tone PR8128, 58:23 ****:

(Brian Charette – B-3 organ; Avi Rothbard – guitar; Jordan Young – drums; Yotam Silberstein –  guitar (2, 4, 7, 9); Mark Ferber – drums (2, 4, 7, 9); Joe Sucato – saxophone (10))

Brian Charette is one of the rising Hammond B-3 jazz stars. He is in demand as a sideman, and has worked with Lou Donaldson, Chaka Khan and Joni Mitchell. Additionally, he has graced jazz recordings with the likes of Bucky Pizzarelli, Mike DiRubbo and Tony Desare, while establishing himself as a rising star on the New York jazz scene. He studied classical music and writes master classes for Keyboard  Magazine. Now with Posi-tone Records, he has released two recordings in the last year, Square Oneand his current album, Good Tipper.

Good Tipper is an organ trio project with a twist. There are two separate ensembles, although the Avi Rothbard (guitar)/ Jordan Young group plays on eight of the twelve tracks. The title cut opens the album with an up tempo blues of a Charette original. Rothbard kicks it off on lead before Charette takes over at :45. His groove vibe is prevalent and he builds some rapid fire solos into the jam. Jordan Young contributes a nifty drum fill. All of this, in three-and-a-half minutes! He aligns with the Yotam Silberstein/guitar and Mark Ferber/drums configuration on the always spooky Rid Argent classic, “Time Of The Season”. Rod Argent has always injected jazziness into his pop hits, and Charette’s style is a perfect fit. The tonality has a Sixties feel to it, and the ensemble play is succinct. Many jazz players have delved into Richard Rodgers material. Charette has chosen the often-covered, “Spring Is Here”. He infuses jauntiness into the arrangement and divides the solos with Rothbard, who showcases his fluidity.

There are many interesting and “fun” selections of covers. “Cuando Cuando Cuando”, the loopy Italian pop song (recorded by many early sixties pop singers) is a surprising treat. Charette maintains the bossa nova, melodic cadence, but delivers some percolating, jazzy runs. It seems like 1962 again. Another unexpected choice is John Barry’s “You Only Live Twice” (from the James Bond movie of that name). Again, the familiarity of the Nancy Sinatra version is re-created with counter-leads by Charette and Silberstein. This is the first of three pop songs, and two Jimmy Webb tunes follow. “Wichita Lineman” was a career defining moment for Glen Campbell. Charette is able to summon the winsome melancholy of the vocals in his play. There is a subtle gospel dynamic to the organ. Silberstein’s sharp notation and improvisation lend a Wes Montgomery-like resonance. On “Up Up And Away” the structure emphasizes the basic hooks of the tune (including the last refrain) and its carefree flow. Webb’s songbook is intricate and well-crafted and receives fresh treatment in the hands of Charette.

dustedmagazine.com

Brian Charette – Good Tipper (Positone)

Organist Brian Charette keeps the schedule of a shark, always on the move and making things happen. Any lapse in activity and he starts to get bored. The once-a-year release schedule of his old label Steeplechase couldn’t keep pace with his output, a quandary that facilitated a switch to Brooklyn-based Positone that also increased his currency stateside.

Good Tipper follows a playbook similar to its predecessor mixing originals and covers with a lean toward the latter. An unintentional side effect is the feeling that Charette could probably play this stuff in his sleep, but that doesn’t make the results any less groovy, particularly when his choice in covers casts such a wide net and succeeds in cementing an unruffled retro sound. There’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure in Charette’s song reservoir, just catchy melodies and rhythms to be expanded and retooled regardless of their source.

Guitarist Avi Rothbard and drummer Jordan Young complete Charette’s classic B-3 schematic, each player steeped in the deep history of their chosen format. A third of the tracks swap out Rothbard and Young for guitarist Yotam Silberstein and drummer Mark Ferber, both of whom were Charette’s partners on his Positone debut, but the personnel changes do nothing to disrupt the flow of the program. The gliding groove of the title track serves as concise palate cleanser before Charette takes down his first cover, The Zombies’ “Time of the Season.” The ensuing vibe is all mohair suits and Pall Mall menthols via Happy Hour at the Holiday Inn, but Ferber syncopates smoothly and Silberstein comps in the corners in such a way that the three successfully (and somewhat miraculously) circumvent any kitsch.

“Spring is Here” and “Cuando Cuando Cuando” cover the jazz standard and Latin bases respectively before a pair of originals, the first by Rothbard and the following by the leader. “Another Quarter” brings the funk with a heavy film of Hammond grease and the effect is The Meters as dosed on Diazepam. Charette channels his inner-Art Neville as Rothbard picks a luminous single-note solo against a pocket-clinging backbeat. “Standing Still” shakes off tonal opacity in favor of a straightforward groove and it’s another stage-setter this time for the triple-punch of John Barry’s “You Only Live Twice” with “Wichita Lineman” and “Up Up and Away” from the Jimmy Webb songbook. Charette has a ball with all three, bringing a soaring Baptist church vibe to the Bond theme that skirts the edges of operatic excess. The reinventions of the Webb tunes are similarly audacious, fusing an AM Radio populism to the honky-tonk anthems that once again keeps the kitsch in check.

The closing tracks of the program prove just engaging. Saxophonist Joe Sucato lends his velvet horn to the brisk Rothbard samba “One And Nine” as an eleventh hour guest and then disappears. Charette’s relaxed-tempo ballad “To Live in Your Life”, afloat in verdant swells, shimmering guitar chords and pattering brushes contrasts with a rapid, but uncluttered rendition of Joe Henderson’s “The Kicker.” Considered in sum the album is an effort worthy of a listener gratuity greater than the standard 15 percent.

Derek Taylor

SomethingElseReviews.com

Barely six months after issuing his for album for Posi-Tone Records, B3 maestro Brian Charette returns with Good Tipper, another small-combo excursion expected out October 7, 2014 from Posi-Tone Records. Returning with Yotam Silberstein (guitar) and Mark Ferber (drums) for four tracks, Charette works with another guitar/drums combo of Avi Rothbard and Jordan Young for the remaining eight.

Charette doesn’t slow down for this one, he hops to it right out the gate with his original, the title song, a lively tune with the leader playing bop sax lines on his B3. And on “Standing Still,” another one of his compositions, he takes this waltz and manages to make it groove.

Rothbard does more than play guitar, contributing two tunes (“Another Quarter” and “One And Nine”). “Another Quarter” is a 60s-style boogaloo, where Charette’s stinging tone for his solo is another instance of him doing a something a little unexpected. Joe Sucato guests on “One And Nine,” a Brazilian shuffle, and his tenor sax portrays Stan Getz’s own approach to this style. Rothbard’s guitar is no slouch, either; his clean and supple lines makes a good better (check out Richard Rodgers’ “Spring Is Here” for proof).

The covers, which comprise of more than half of the album, makes Charette’s interpretive skills a major focus on this album, and interestingly, he draws heavily from the mid-to-late 60s pop canon. Yep, “Wichita Lineman” is in here, as is another Jimmy Webb classic, “Up Up and Away.” On the former, the song begins to truly soar when Rothbard takes over in the last two and a half minutes, and Silberstein and Charette harmonize well together on the latter. The Zombies hit “Time Of The Season” was also a good choice because it’s an organ-heavy Rod Argent song. Argent is nearly as key of the development or the organ in rock as Jimmy Smith in jazz, and Charette sets himself apart from most jazz organists by drawing from that important influence in equal measure.

Charette adds pizzazz to the Al Martino Brazilian ditty “Cuando Cuando Cuando,” but Silverstein steals the show with his funky technique and comping that is very perceptive of what Charette is doing on organ. The hard swinging “The Kicker” makes it two albums in a row where Charette tips his hat to the later tenor sax giant Joe Henderson. On this one, the last track, Charette sets the place on fire with his right hand runs, and the proceedings are capped off by Young’s hard driving drum solo.

Good Tipper is a return back to organ jazz basics for Brian Charette, who still can’t help putting a refreshingly different spin on things. Nevertheless, he demonstrates here that he’s got the fundamentals down, as he roots down for yet another satisfying outing.

– See more at: http://somethingelsereviews.com/2014/10/05/brian-charette-good-tipper-2014/#sthash.EGeEfurd.dpuf

Brian Charette Good Tipper Posi-Tone 2014

Bop ‘n Jazz

Brian Charette’s great year ends on a high note with Good Tipper! Insanely good!

There are a lot of fine organ players working the scene, Brian Charette is simply one of the best. Charette’s sophomore release for Posi-Tone is a hard hitting effort that is as soulful and it is soul filled! Two rhythms sections fill out this date and include Avi Rothbard on guitar as well as perennial favorite Yotam Silberstein. Jordan Young and Mark Ferber share the drum chair while saxophonist Joe Sucato makes a welcome cameo. 

While the Charette original “Good Tipper” sets the table, there are some incredible fun covers here (yes…improvisational music should be fun!). The album rock classic “Time Of The Season” along with “Cuando Cuando Cuando” hold a harmonic groove while never moving over to the more easy listening side of the street and this is Charette’s greatest strength as an artist. A lyrical sense of style while allowing the entire ensemble to show off their talents. As tight a band as one might hear. “Standing Still” is another notable contribution from Charette along with the closing Joe Henderson tune “The Kicker.” 

Soulful, funky and with a rock steady consistency there is little doubt Posi-Tune has hit pay dirt with Brian Charette. A must for 2014. 

AAJ.com

Nine of the eleven tracks on organist Brian Charette’s Square One (Posi-Tone, 2014) were originals, but that doesn’t mean he’s uninterested in tackling the music of others. In fact, judging by this album, it would seem that he really digs digging into covers. Everybody from film score icon John Barry to tunesmith Jimmy Webb to saxophonist Joe Henderson gets a nod during the fun-filled Good Tipper

Charette has built a reputation as one of the most adventuresome yet respectful organists operating today, something that’s evident on this album when you hear him cook on a twenty-bar blues (“Good Tipper”), toy with his sound on a grooving original from guitaristAvi Rothbard (“Another Quarter”), recast a Richard Rodgers classic in five (“Spring Is Here”) or deliver surprisingly straightforward takes on a James Bond theme (“You Only Live Twice”) and a classic from The Zombies (“Time Of The Season”). He’s not looking to simply walk in the footsteps of other organists, but he’s also not out to alter the organ’s position in the jazz firmament. He enjoys pushing, pulling and expanding the instrument’s reach a bit while staying true to the music.

In addition to the aforementioned covers, Charette and company deliver an enthusiastic “Cuando Cuando Cuando,” an album-ending take on Henderson’s “The Kicker,” and two different Jimmy Webb classics—”Wichita Lineman,” which is covered so often it could almost be considered a standard at this point, and “Up, Up And Away,” a number that wreaks of musical kitsch in its decades-old form(s), but sounds just fine when Charette gets done with it. The rest of the program is filled out by pleasing original numbers like “One And Nine,” a lively Rothbard tune that brings saxophonist Joe Sucato aboard, and “To Live In Your Life,” a relatively mellow Charette number.

Track Listing: Good Tipper; Time Of The Season; Spring Is Here; Cuando Cuando Cuando; Another Quarter; Standing Still; You Only Live Twice; Wichita Lineman; Up, Up And Away; One And Nine; To Live Your Life; The Kicker.

Personnel: Brian Charette: organ; Avi Rothbard: guitar (1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10-12); Jordan Young: drums (1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10-12); Joe Sucato: tenor saxophone (10); Yotam Silberstein: guitar (2, 4, 7, 9); Mark Ferber: drums (2, 4, 7, 9).