“Common Ground, the latest offering from saxophonist/composer Kirk MacDonald, is a major work of uncommon scope and depth. The double-CD set is also somewhat of a retrospective of material drawn from his impressive body of work, set this time in a big-band format by longtime collaborator, arranger, and trumpeter Joe Sullivan. Sullivan, who has often worked with MacDonald in both large and small groups, displays an uncanny ability to interpret the composer’s tunes on a grand scale and the results here are outstanding. MacDonald has been generous in his allotment of solo space and the casting on this album is extraordinary, featuring a stellar lineup of Canada’s top jazz musicians.
PJ Perry and Pat LaBarbera are an inspired pairing on the title track. Perry’s beautiful alto tone and bop-ish sensibility sound perfectly at home in the contemporary harmonic context of MacDonald’s music. LaBarbera brings his huge tenor sound to a duet with bassist Neil Swainson for the opening of his solo. It’s a nice dynamic shift and the two master musicians take full advantage of the space it affords before the rest of the rhythm section kicks in and LaBarbera lets loose with impassioned, angular lines.
There are too many similarly brilliant moments to mention here. MacDonald’s rich tenor tone and deep linear concept can be heard several times throughout the album perhaps most notably on the final track Vanda Justina where he shares solo responsibilities with his daughter, the excellent clarinetist, Virginia Frigault-MacDonald.” by Ted Quinlan – The WholeNote
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Disc One
- Labrynth (Soloists: Kirk MacDonald, Rob Smith) – 11:56
- Common Ground (Soloists: P.J. Perry, Pat LaBarbera) – 10:05
- Symmetry (Soloists: Joe Sullivan, Lorne Lofsky) – 8:33
- The Power of Four (Soloists: Kevin Turcotte, Perry White, Alistair Kay, Barry Romberg) – 10:30
- Shadows (Soloists: Nancy Walker, Kirk MacDonald) – 13:38
Disc Two
- You See But You Don’t Hear (Soloists: Luis Deniz, Pat LaBarbera) – 13:36
- Kirk’s Blues (Soloists: Kelsley Grant, Brian O’Kane, Terry Promane, P.J. Perry, Neil Swainson) – 9:52
- Vanda Justina (Soloists: Virginia Frigault-MacDonald, Kirk MacDonald) – 12:12
KIRK MACDONALD: tenor sax | P.J. PERRY: alto sax, flute | LUIS DENIZ: alto sax | PAT LABARBERA: tenor sax, soprano sax, flute, alto flute | PERRY WHITE: baritone sax, bass clarinet
VIRGINIA FRIGAULT-MACDONALD: clarinet (Symmetry, Shadows, Vanda Justina)JASON LOGUE | BRIAN O’KANE | ROB SMITH | KEVIN TURCOTTE | JOE SULLIVAN: trumpet, fluglehorn
ALASTAIR KAY | TERRY PROMANE | KELSLEY GRANT: trombone PETER HYSEN: bass trombone, tuba
LORNE LOFSKY: guitar | NANCY WALKER: piano | NEIL SWAINSON: bass | BARRY ROMBERG: drums
Produced by Kirk MacDonald & Steve Bellamy
Recorded at Humber College Studio June 14, 15 2015
Recording Engineer Kenny MacDonald
Assistant Engineer Matt Manifould
Mixing by André White & Kirk MacDonald
Editing by Matt Manifould & Kirk MacDonald
Mastering by Steve Bellamy
Studio Session Photos & Group Photo by Alastair Kay
Original photos of Kirk MacDonald by Gee Wong
Layout & Design by Lucie Frigault
Compositions by Kirk MacDonald – SOCAN
Arrangements by Joe Sullivan
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