Baritone saxophonist and bandleader Adam Schroeder teams up with arranger Mark Masters to deliver a tasty baker’s dozen tunes in the Basie/Ellington/Strayhorn style, all composed by renowned trumpeter Clark Terry on CT!.

Out January 19th, 2024 via Capri Records, CT! takes on fresh arrangements of 13 Terry originals.

Schroeder conceived of the recording as a celebration of Terry’s 100th birthday. That plan was delayed by the pandemic but eventually realized a few years later. Schroeder’s motivations for the record were heartfelt.

I wanted to celebrate what Clark gave to me and so many others around the globe for decades – musically, educationally, and as a mentor, said Schroeder. He was so giving, while at the same time demanding the utmost respect for the music and its process, and thus demanding that the players and listeners be present and collaborative.

1. Serenade To A Bus Seat
2. Ground Hog
3. Ode To Pres
4. Daylite Express
5. Boardwalk
6. Argentina
7. Perdido Line
8. Slow Boat
9. Swingin’ On The Cusp
10. Michelle
11. Top And Bottom
12. Boomerang
13. In Orbit

This diligently sculpted new recording opens on the rafter swinging Serenade To A Bus Seat and the bluesy Ground Hog and they are followed by the elegantly crafted Ode To Pres (which itself pays respect to Lester Young), the joyously played Daylite Express, and then we get both the magnificently hued Boardwalk and the flamboyantly sculpted Argentina.

Along next is the tasty sass of Perdido Line and the heart-string pulling blues of Slow Boat and they are in turn backed by the rhythm fresh Swingin’ On The Cusp, a gorgeous, loving refrain found gently pulsing within Michelle, the beautifully tight Top And Bottom, the recording rounding out on masterful orchestrations that bring Boomerang to life, coming to a close on the cohesive swagger that drives In Orbit.

When you really get down to it, Schroeder said, the community is so small, loving, generous and inspirational that you forget how vast the musical world is and how connected we all are through the music. CT loved the music and being generous, and to see his imprint on each person there over those few days – I will honestly never forget it. It was awe-inspiring.

The proof is in the playing, and CT! is full of the kinds of moments that Terry himself would have appreciated, created by a band full of people with a clear connection to the history of the music, to its future, and to one another.

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