Dan Dean: Vocalise
Dan Dean Music

Not all that long ago, Dan Dean's reputation was rooted in his prowess as a bassist operating within instrumental jazz contexts and crafting well-received recordings for Origin Records. A remarkable left-turn occurred in 2017, however, with the release of Songs Without Words, his first full-on foray into the world of multi-layered vocal expression. Four years later, Fanfare for the Common Man saw him refining the approach, and Vocalise now shows the high standard of artistry he's achieved in pursuing this direction. The music he issued with vibraphonist Tom Collier on Duets (2005) and keyboardists George Duke, Larry Goldings, Gil Goldstein, and Kenny Werner on 2-5-1 (2010) feels galaxies removed from the ingenious re-imaginings of classical works on Vocalise and the two before it.

The creation of Dean's vocal material requires a staggering amount of patience, precision, and dexterity. Building layer upon layer in his simulation of detailed classical arrangements, Dean achieves something that's technically impressive but more importantly musically rewarding. With respect to content, his vocal trilogy is clearly more classical than jazz, yet the feel of the latter nevertheless emerges in the strong rhythmic drive of the pieces. While some of them are soothing and serene, others exude the propulsive thrust of jazz. Even so, it would be a stretch to label Vocalise jazz—not that issues of genre matter when the musical results are so satisfying.

Two-thirds of the selections are by Russian composers, but Dean's choices weren't necessarily guided by nationality but simply particular compositions he was drawn to tackling this time around. While Vocalise perpetuates the approach he used for its predecessors, it also shows him exploring new ideas and techniques. He describes in his liner notes, for example, how in assembling the parts for Fauré's Pavane in F# Minor, Opus 50, he juxtaposed non-vibrato orchestral vocals and vibrato choir vocals to realize the desire effect.

A slower setting such as Rachmaninoff's entrancing “Vocalise” allows the engulfing beauty of Dean's vocal sound to be fully appreciated as well as the meticulousness with which the arrangement's been constructed. Here and elsewhere, parts are intricately woven into an elegant, fluidly flowing expression that captures the spirit of the original in its conventionally presented form. Speaking of entrancement, Couperin's Les Barricades Mystérieuses and Fauré's Pavane lend themselves exceptionally well to Dean's approach when their lilting patterns translate into vocal parts seamlessly.

Three Prokofiev pieces appear, up first the driving Toccata in D Minor, Opus 11, which dazzles for the complexity of its soaring interweave. From Romeo and Juliet comes “Montagues and Capulets,” and as anyone familiar with the ballet score knows the tension-rich material includes a massive climax that reflects the conflict between the warring families. The “Marche” from L'amour des Trois Oranges comes last, as engaging and arresting in this treatment as it is in the original. Excerpted from L'Histoire d'un Soldat, Stravinsky's “Triumphal March of the Devil” hammers forcefully in this treatment. Even better, Dean's version accentuates the brilliant rhythmic invention of the composer's writing.

July 2024