A Gift to Pops is a joyfully presented tribute to legendary trumpeter, vocalist and composer Louis Armstrong, performed by an impressive line-up of musicians primarily from New Orleans. The super talented trumpeters include Nicholas Payton, who also coproduced the album with trombonist Wycliff Gordon and Jackie Harris, Wynton Marsalis, Wendell Brunious and Ashlin Parker. The rest of the crowd from the Big Easy include drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Reginald Veal, keyboardists Davell Crawford and Courtney Bryan, saxophonist Roderick Paulin, banjoist Don Vappie and guitarist Derwin “Big D” Perkins. Along for the wonderful ride is rapper Common and vocalist Niki Haris.
Perhaps the element that these musicians share is that they are well versed in New Orleans traditional jazz while also being hip to modern jazz. Notable, too, is that they each have their own expressive “voice” on their respective instruments. Working on freshly arranged material from Armstrong’s songbook, they bring that knowledge and inventiveness, which is central to jazz, to the well-known tunes.
Speaking of voices, several artists step up to the microphone, including Riley, who on the Latin-tinged “The Peanut Vendor” shouts out the produce in his cart. This is the one cut on which Marsalis’ beautiful horn is heard. Crawford, Gordon, Veal and Payton also add their voices on various selections.
A sense of fun is a must in New Orleans-style jazz, and everyone brings it to “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue.” After the ensemble gets things going, Paulin’s solo brings a modern touch, followed by Gordon’s ’bone slides and hiccups through a masterful yet hilarious solo. Payton’s bright horn takes the tune into lofty new realms. It’s easy to imagine a big smile on Riley’s face as he throws in an exciting short solo towards the end.
Quieter, more contemplative moments are interspersed between the swinging numbers, as heard on “Rockin’ Chair.” Only the soulful voice and New Orleans-infused brilliant piano talent of Davell Crawford, teamed with Brunious’ thoughtfully placed trumpet, are needed here.
“Black and Blue” takes off with a startlingly frenetic and explosive intro ignited by Payton, Gordon and Riley. Veal takes over on upright bass while Bryan offers simple chords on this most unusual version of this historically important tune. Payton’s vocals are soft and sadly beautiful, complimented by background vocalists. A surprising addition is the spoken word through a modern-day commentary by rapper Common.
A Gift to Pops is a package full of delights performed by hugely talented musicians with obvious love of Armstrong, jazz music and each other. In turn, it stands as a gift to us all.
