PAPATAMUS REDUX

RMF RECORDS (Recorded June 2024)

Drummer Charles Ruggiero’s But of Course is a classic example of what one might describe as retro-Bluenote. The graphic design of the cover is Bluenote. The instrumentation (with the exception of a vocalist on one track) is Bluenote. The soulful tenor sound of Bob Reynolds is Bluenote. The bluesy sound of pianist Jeremy Manasia is Bluenote. The steady and swinging drumming of leader Charles Ruggiero is Bluenote. The solid bass lines of Mike Gurrola are Bluenote. These musicians live and breath the classic Bluenote era. Ruggiero, whose father Vinny was a noted jazz drummer, grew up on a steady diet of Bluenote releases. Manasia cites Sonny Clark and Wynton Kelly as major influences. Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine and Joe Henderson are among Reynolds go-to saxophonists. So, you can probably guess what you will get when you listen to But of Course — up-tempo  swingers such as Ruggiero’s “Jellyroll,” a Horace Silver style Latin tune “A Spleef for Cheef” (with the addition of Alex Norris on trumpet and Lenny Castro on conga), Billy Strayhorn’s “Isfahan,” played as a jazz waltz and Ernest Gold’s theme to “Exodus” swung with a “Killer Joe” rhythm. The only exception to the retro-Bluenote sound is the Ruggiero ballad “But of Course,” featuring vocalist Laura Mace. Ruggiero and the band deliver solid performances on But of Course, but of course there is no match for the Bluenote releases that many of us grew up with and revere.

BOTTOM LINE: Fans of classic Bluenote dates from the 1950s and early 1960s will find something familiar on Charles Ruggiero’s But of Course. Not only is the cover reminiscent of Reid Miles’ distinctive cover designs, but the instrumentation, original compositions and programming of tunes are all in the classic Bluenote style.