Wayne Bergeron - Full Circle (2016)

2016 has seen many top shelf jazz releases and you can add another to the list in the form of trumpeter/composer Wayne Bergeron and his new album Full Circle. As he states in the liner notes, "The music presented here is what inspired me in my youth hard swinging, fiery big-band jazz." I could not agree more with that sentiment.

Appearing on the album are no less than ten musicians helping him out thus making the sound full and rich and I have to say the playing is excellent all around. Bergeron plays Yamaha trumpets and flugelhorns and he has earmarked every track with his signature tone and melodic sensibility.

You will get a good picture of what to expect from the opening track "Bernie's Journey". Bergeron's horn intro leads into a swinging big band sound that is absolutely joyous to hear, especially if you dig how it was played in the glory days of jazz. The horns reach a melodic crescendo before settling into a delicious rhythmic groove. These crests and valleys continue until a fabulous trumpet solo takes center stage. The rhythms are crisp and intense, certainly warranting the 'fiery' tag. The bass and drums in "Seasoned Traveler" gets the swinging started early while the cheery "Jig" is laced with layer upon layer of trumpet and assorted horns. The beat, the soloing, the melody, it's all there for the taking and should be appreciated by even the most seasoned of jazz fans. The romantic and sentimental "Theme From Chinatown" is another winner. The fun "James Bond Medley" is a perfect marriage between softer interludes and the classic up-tempo rhythms that everyone knows by heart.

The sound is crystal clear throughout and sounds great on a good system or set of headphones. Dynamic and vibrant, this is one of my favourite jazz CDs so far this year. Highly recommended.~ Jon Neudorf