Playground is an album by Robert Mazurek Chicago Underground Orchestra which was released on the Delmark label in 1998.Rob Mazurek discography, accessed October 29, 2018Delmark Records: album details, accessed October 29Jazzlists: Delmark Records discography: 500 series, accessed October 29, 2019
Reception
In his review for AllMusic, Rick Watrous states: "A revelation. Cornetist Mazurek and his Chicago Underground Orchestra create some of the freshest sounds of late-'90s jazz. Mazurek and Parker's original tunes have the loose improvisatory feel of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock's late-'60s compositions, giving soloists free reign [sic] to strut their stuff. ... Imaginative use of instrumental colors and combinations prevail throughout the album".
On All About Jazz Jack Bowers said: "This is an interesting and varied session... Mazurek has abandoned neither melody, harmony nor rhythm, and the band's hard-bop origins can also be discerned from time to time ... Throughout, Rob and the band shrewdly employ uncommon elements - the sound of a glockenspiel or bamboo flute, for example - to accentuate their singular point of view. Everyone is on the same page, and those who fancy Jazz that veers slightly off the beaten path without self-indulgent cerebralism should find this picturesque Playground well-suited to whatever musical byways they might care to pursue"Bowers, J. All About Jazz Review accessed October 29, 2019
Track listing All compositions by Robert Mazurek except where noted "Blow Up" (Herbie Hancock) − 8:17 "Flamingos Dancing On Luminescent Moonbeams" − 7:43 "Boiled Over" − 8:08 "Le Sucrier Velours" (Duke Ellington) − 2:06 "Components Changes" (Jeff Parker) − 6:23 "Playground" − 10:23 "Jeff's New Idea" (Parker) − 6:34 "The Inner Soul of H" − 3:02 "Whitney" (Parker) − 7:07 "Ostinato" − 8:08
Personnel Robert Mazurek – cornet, bell, bamboo flute, toy trumpet Jeff Parker – guitar, cowbell, recorder Sara P. Smith − trombone, glockenspiel, recorder, muffin tin, voice, cymbals Chris Lopes − bass, India flute, voice Chad Taylor – drums, street sign John Herndon − bongos (track 1) Dan Bitney − congas (track 1) Tony Pinciotti − percussion
References