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SHORT STORIES
Marc Mommaas Tenor saxophone Ron Horton Trumpet Jean-Michel Pilc Piano Ugonna Okegwo Bass Tony Moreno Drums The album ‘Short Stories’ by Tony Moreno Quintet is the culmination of over four years of collaboration with close friends and artistic partners. It represents a significant chapter in Tony Moreno’s journey of rebuilding after losing his lifelong studio, instruments, and his mother’s extensive music library to Hurricane Sandy. This record is a testament to Tony’s gratitude, made possible by an outpouring of love and support from both friends and strangers within the musical community. It also celebrates the enduring influence of his mentors, particularly Elvin Jones. As Tony puts it, “Elvin was my mentor and my spiritual father. If I could encapsulate Elvin in one word, it would be love.” [ Mayimba Jazz, 2016 ] |
Available as double CD with 8-page booklet at CD Baby GET IT HERE
Tony Moreno Trio 'Ballads Vol. 1'
There is something timeless in the performance of a jazz ballad. By nature, they are very open to unique interpretation. Drummer Tony Moreno inherited an appreciation for ballads from his mother, a professional harpist, which eventually led to Moreno regularly performing them with his Trio. After twenty years of leading the group, Moreno has compiled some of his mother’s favorites to record with the trio on their debut album, Ballads Volume 1.
Moreno grew up in New York City under the sway of his mother Nina Dunkel’s musical lead. Dunkel garnered rave reviews for her debut concert at Carnegie Hall at 19 years old and went on to study with Nadia and Lili Boulanger in Paris. Regardless of her pedigree, Dunkel found it difficult find a regular position in the orchestras of 1950s United States. She was relegated to playing restaurant and hotel gigs, adding a bit of elegance for tourists on their stays in New York City.
Rather than be discouraged, Dunkel developed a love of the jazz canon and invented a unique way of pedaling her harp to allow herself to play jazz changes. She was especially fond of a regular gig performing at the VIP lounge at the Charles French Restaurant where she met many of legends of the music, including Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, and Alec Wilder.
Dunkel passed her love of jazz to her son. Upon his request, she escorted Moreno to hear drumming legend Elvin Jones at the La Boheme Club. Meeting Jones set Moreno in motion on his life’s journey as a professional jazz drummer. Moreno also caught Dunkel’s appreciation for ballads, as their lyricism and transparency drew his ears.
Flashing forward, Moreno found a home for his musical experiments with his trio of pianist Frank Kimbrough and bassist François Moutin at the 55 Bar in the West Village. Their group’s monthly residency allowed the trio to get progressively freer with their playing, stretching standard material farther and farther. Some of their favorite pieces to perform were standards that Moreno had first heard under the fingers of his mother on her harp.
After Kimbrough passed away in 2020, Moreno enlisted his occasional substitute Gary Versace to fill the vacancy permanently. Though 55 Bar closed in 2020, primarily due to the negative effects of the Covid pandemic, and performance opportunities in New York have become more limited in general, the trio still reforms often and with incredible, spontaneous results.
Moreno grew up in New York City under the sway of his mother Nina Dunkel’s musical lead. Dunkel garnered rave reviews for her debut concert at Carnegie Hall at 19 years old and went on to study with Nadia and Lili Boulanger in Paris. Regardless of her pedigree, Dunkel found it difficult find a regular position in the orchestras of 1950s United States. She was relegated to playing restaurant and hotel gigs, adding a bit of elegance for tourists on their stays in New York City.
Rather than be discouraged, Dunkel developed a love of the jazz canon and invented a unique way of pedaling her harp to allow herself to play jazz changes. She was especially fond of a regular gig performing at the VIP lounge at the Charles French Restaurant where she met many of legends of the music, including Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, and Alec Wilder.
Dunkel passed her love of jazz to her son. Upon his request, she escorted Moreno to hear drumming legend Elvin Jones at the La Boheme Club. Meeting Jones set Moreno in motion on his life’s journey as a professional jazz drummer. Moreno also caught Dunkel’s appreciation for ballads, as their lyricism and transparency drew his ears.
Flashing forward, Moreno found a home for his musical experiments with his trio of pianist Frank Kimbrough and bassist François Moutin at the 55 Bar in the West Village. Their group’s monthly residency allowed the trio to get progressively freer with their playing, stretching standard material farther and farther. Some of their favorite pieces to perform were standards that Moreno had first heard under the fingers of his mother on her harp.
After Kimbrough passed away in 2020, Moreno enlisted his occasional substitute Gary Versace to fill the vacancy permanently. Though 55 Bar closed in 2020, primarily due to the negative effects of the Covid pandemic, and performance opportunities in New York have become more limited in general, the trio still reforms often and with incredible, spontaneous results.
Available now at Sunnyside Records. GET IT HERE
Review by Abe Goldstien, PAPATAMUS REDUX June 2, 2024
Some drummers might shy away from recording a whole CD of ballads fearing that the slow tempos and melancholy melodies would never give them a chance to shine. Not the case on Tony Moreno’s Ballads, Volume 1. The opening track, Matt Dennis’ “Violets for Your Furs,” tells you this will not be your typical piano trio ballad session. Rather than quietly playing brushes through this set of ballads, Moreno adds percussive color to them — a splash of a cymbal, a soft drum roll, even some hard hits on the snare on tom-toms. At first, I was caught off-guard by this unique approach to ballads, but by the fourth tune, Henry Mancini’s “Loss of Love,” I was a fan of not only Moreno’s surprising ideas, but the adventuresome and sympathetic playing of Gary Versace and lyrical quality and full sound of bassist Francois Moutin. The bigger question for me was why Moreno picked so many obscure and under-recorded ballads for this session. The answer came in the liner notes — his mother! Moreno’s mother, Nina Dunkel was a well-respected harp player who worked in New York City restaurants and hotels. Moreno compiled some of his mother’s favorite ballads for this session including several Alec Wilder tunes such as “Remember My Child,” “A Season or Two Ago” and Lovers and Losers” as well as Lerner and Loewe’s “Show Me” from My Fair Lady. Although the trio is led by Moreno, it’s really the tunes that guide the session. The 11 ballads played on Ballads, Volume 1 are in good hands with the creativity of Moreno, Versace and Moutin.
BOTTOM LINE: Somewhat obscure ballads, an original approach to performing them and obliging musicians make Tony Moreno’s Ballads, Vol 1 an interesting and enjoyable addition to the art of ballad playing.
Some drummers might shy away from recording a whole CD of ballads fearing that the slow tempos and melancholy melodies would never give them a chance to shine. Not the case on Tony Moreno’s Ballads, Volume 1. The opening track, Matt Dennis’ “Violets for Your Furs,” tells you this will not be your typical piano trio ballad session. Rather than quietly playing brushes through this set of ballads, Moreno adds percussive color to them — a splash of a cymbal, a soft drum roll, even some hard hits on the snare on tom-toms. At first, I was caught off-guard by this unique approach to ballads, but by the fourth tune, Henry Mancini’s “Loss of Love,” I was a fan of not only Moreno’s surprising ideas, but the adventuresome and sympathetic playing of Gary Versace and lyrical quality and full sound of bassist Francois Moutin. The bigger question for me was why Moreno picked so many obscure and under-recorded ballads for this session. The answer came in the liner notes — his mother! Moreno’s mother, Nina Dunkel was a well-respected harp player who worked in New York City restaurants and hotels. Moreno compiled some of his mother’s favorite ballads for this session including several Alec Wilder tunes such as “Remember My Child,” “A Season or Two Ago” and Lovers and Losers” as well as Lerner and Loewe’s “Show Me” from My Fair Lady. Although the trio is led by Moreno, it’s really the tunes that guide the session. The 11 ballads played on Ballads, Volume 1 are in good hands with the creativity of Moreno, Versace and Moutin.
BOTTOM LINE: Somewhat obscure ballads, an original approach to performing them and obliging musicians make Tony Moreno’s Ballads, Vol 1 an interesting and enjoyable addition to the art of ballad playing.