Eric Felten Renews Swing In Seize The Night

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Singer, composer, and trombonist Eric Felten is a contemporary jazz artist whose voicing is immaculate, and whose treatment of old school jazz and nostalgic swing is inspiring on his third solo CD, Seize The Night from Melotone Records. Produced by Felten, the album features Kenny Barron on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Don Braden on tenor saxophone with Felten on vocals and trombone.  Felten leads the musicians through a striking set of original material in addition to a handful of standards including Irvin Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” Duke Ellington and Don George’s “Tulip Or Turnip,” and Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz’s “Dancing In The Dark.”  Recorded on October 1, 2007 at Systems Two Studios in Brooklyn, New York, Seize The Night surrounds listeners in serene soundscapes that reach a euphoric decibel and relaxes all the senses.

 

The laid-back swagger of Felten’s vocals is liken to Michael Feinstein as the pristine clarity in his trombone sequences garnish the tracks with boughs of lightly traipsing swirls.  “If I Had You” is beautifully engineered in lounging piano keys spruced with a sprinkle of upright bass arcos and framed in a gilding of pouching trombone notes.  The casual trotting of the piano and trombone along “Dancing In The Dark” merge into a lively interplay, which transform into a tango-laden gait through “Damas De Blanco” as the soft tremble of bongo-toned beats are underscored by the gentle meanderings of the piano and trombone.  From the upbeat scat swizzles frolicking along “Tulip Or Turnip” to the pliant cool jazz palette of “Too Smart To Fall,” Felten covers all aspects of swing from its nostalgic roots to its contemporary buds.

 

The torchlight flickers of the title track are alight with slow, simmering bass pulls and percolating trombone twits while the supper club ambience of “Blue Skies” has a heavier pounce in the trombone cuts.  The affable tone of the tracks is appealing with a gaggle of sunny horns crisscrossing through “Three-Martini Lunch” and sprigs of bellowing trombone notes and buoyant piano swells traversing along “I’ve Got News For You” harking of a vintage BB King’s bluesy style.   Complementing the romantic lure of swing and blues are Felten’s lyrics which ruminate about love like in “Which Are You” as he ponders, “With a couple of drinks you go from a maiden to a minx… I googled your name / Just to sort out your game / To look for a sign / A saint or a sinner, I don’t have a clue / Either way I want you.”

 

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Eric Felten was influenced by his grandfather’s affinity for swing music.  Felten pays tribute to classic swing in his set while infusing a contemporary glint into old time jazz. His integration of old world jazz with modern era swing makes for beautiful music that is timeless, and breathes life into nouveau swing.