Marc Pompe - Monk's Dream (2014)

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Marc Pompe - Monk's Dream (2014)

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“He dreamed it was music he had to play…. he dreamed when he played, he would play his way,” sings Marc Pompe on the title cut of Monk’s Dream. And he means it. It’s been almost 50 years since he and best friend/mentor, legendary saxophonist Bob Centano dreamed about doing a big band recording together back in days of the “Taylor Street Little Italy” neighborhood of Chicago. Joining them was arranger/writer/trumpet player (and future Basie Band member), Bobby Ojeda. Over the years, the project remained a work in progress. But after the recent passing of Bob Centano, Pompe and Ojeda knew it was time to fulfill the dream in his honor. Monk’s Dream is an exquisite dream that has finally come true.

In this stunning recording, Marc Pompe blazes a trail through romance, adventure, lost and found love, passion and hope––and does it all with unbridled joy. Among the wittiest and most versatile performers in today’s world of jazz, the seasoned singer/pianist/lyricist/composer and all-around cool guy, showcases his amazing tapestry of vocal virtuosity in front of an 11-piece band of Chicago jazz all-stars. With wonderful and appealing arrangements by Bobby Ojeda, we are treated to an eclectic and colorful selection of bebop, ballads, bossanovas and burning swing. Driven by a great rhythm section, and powered by the ensemble work and inspired solos of an elite eight-man horn section, Ojeda has created the perfect platform for Pompe’s innovative and highly stylized vocals. Ranging from quirky, high energy phrasing to lush, heart-melting tenderness, Pompe makes every song his own.

Among the standouts on the album are “Estaté,” a sultry bossa nova which Pompe sings in Italian; “My Chicago,” by the late Joe Vessia, with newly updated and highly entertaining lyrics by Pompe; “The Music Goes Round and Round,” a 1930s hit given an adventurous new life by Ojeda’s high-energy arrangement and Pompe’s intense and humorous vocal. The songs that have an especially profound and emotional impact are the two Monk cuts. “Ask Me Now” is a showcase for Pompe’s ability to deliver a reflective lyric over an incredibly dense harmonic landscape. “Monk’s Dream” features Pompe’s punchy-yet-soulful phrasing, along with his super-articulated reading of the lyrics. The song has a rhythmic drive and melodic angularity that tells a mini biography of Monk’s life and approach to music, one that very much mirrors Pompe’s own.

This album is an instant Chicago classic. Everyone shines. Bobby Ojeda’s great arrangements, the top-notch band, and the sonic talents of engineer Steve Yates have all combined to deliver Marc Pompe’s long-time dream of a Taylor Street reunion. Monk’s Dream is indeed a dream come true. ~Reviewed by Judy Robertsopportunities to lead his own record dates. (Review by Ken Dryden)