Wayne Alpern, Gotham Review

by Icrom Bigrad

Wayne Alpern’s Gotham presents a compelling exploration of familiar melodies through his distinctive compositional lens. By reimagining thirteen well-known tracks, Alpern offers listeners an opportunity to experience these songs anew, highlighting his unique ability to blend jazz and classical elements.​

Alpern’s approach to arrangement serves as a bridge between jazz and classical. In “Desafinado,” for instance, he deconstructs the classic bossa nova tune, infusing it with innovative harmonies and structures that challenge traditional interpretations of the genre. This method allows listeners to engage with the piece on a deeper level. It is easy to appreciate the interplay between the original composition and Alpern’s creative vision.​

His rendition of “Norwegian Wood” showcases his ability to transform this well-known melody into a developing sound journey of harmonies and counterpoints. By incorporating classical techniques and jazz sonorities, Alpern offers a fresh perspective that is created through his creative writing.​

A standout feature in Alpern’s arrangements is his use of the ‘shout chorus,’ a section traditionally found in big band jazz where the ensemble plays a climactic passage that features the arranger’s writing skills. In Gotham, these moments serve as Alpern’s compositional solos, allowing his writing to take center stage. For example, in “Blue Room,” the shout chorus emerges as a vibrant interplay of brass and woodwinds, reflecting Alpern’s intricate orchestration skills and sense of pacing.​

In “Have You Met Miss Jones,” the shout chorus becomes a platform for Alpern to showcase his ability to weave inventive harmonies within a swinging rhythm, highlighting his understanding of jazz and classical styles and structures.​

Through Gotham, Wayne Alpern invites listeners into a dialogue between the familiar and the innovative. His transformative arrangements and strategic use of shout choruses not only pay homage to the original compositions but also assert his compositional style as a re-arranger and composer. This album continues Alpern’s catalog of projects that display his outstanding ability to reshape well-known melodies, offering a fresh auditory experience that bridges genres and eras.