PAPATAMUS REDUX

CAPRI RECORDS (Recorded April 2023)

He’s arranged the music of Dewey Redman, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Gary McFarland and many other legendary jazz musicians. On Sui Generis, Mark Masters
arranges nine of his own compositions on a recording that showcases the trumpet work of longtime musical friend and member of the Mark Masters Ensemble Tim Hagans. Like the suites Duke Ellington created for Cootie Williams, Harry Carney and other members of his band, the well-crafted compositions and arrangements on Sui Generis are built around Hagans’ tart and Miles-like voicings. Hagans swings hard on up-tempo tunes such as “The Stoic” and “Waxing and Waning.” He intuitively trades four with drummer Kendall Kay on “Velocity.” His muted tone is perfect for the film noirish “Deep Pools.” Although Hagans does solo on all nine tunes, Masters left room in the arrangements to showcase other soloists in the octet including saxophonists Nicole McCabe  and Jerry Pinter, trombonist Dave Woodley, pianist Jeff Colella and bassist Chris Colangelo. Thanks to Masters’ arranging skills, especially his creative use of John Dickson on French horn, this little band has a big sound. If you are curious about the meaning of the title, anything sui generis means it is its own thing; there’s nothing else like it. That’s an accurate title for a recording filled with unique compositions, an extraordinary collection of top-notch ensemble players and soloists and, as always, meticulously crafted arrangements by the pen of Mark Masters.

BOTTOM LINE: Sui Generis proofs once again that composer/arranger Mark Masters has the skills to make a little band sound big. Masters creates what he describes as a “kind of concerto for chamber orchestra” to showcase trumpeter Tim Hagans. Fans of great charts and inspired playing will find Sui Generis sui generis (meaning one of a kind).