Jim Rotondi
Blues for Brother Ray (Posi-Tone)
www.jimrotondi.com
Rating:
This tribute to the late great Ray Charles brims with love and drips with soul. Rotondi’s rep as a post-bop trumpeter can obscure his rich credentials in the soul-jazz arena — he cut his teeth in Charles’ big band — and while he doesn’t try to imitate that iconic sound here, the spirit of Charles’s music easily merges with his own. Working with a cast of long-time familiars, Rotondi breezes through seven prime cuts from Charles’ repertoire and one catchy original by organist Mike LeDonne. But while the solos are lively and fetching — particularly in the leader’s swooping, firm-toned runs and guitarist Peter Bernstein’s cool bluesy glide, there’s a forced stiffness in some of the rhythms that undermines their charm, marching rather than swinging along. A couple more greasy jams like the on-target “Lonely Avenue” wouldn’t have hurt.