Celebrity golf tournaments raise millions in the name of giving back. Trombonist Fred Wesley uses a different kind of swing to make his contribution: It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing benefits The Commission Project (TCP), a nonprofit that supports various music education projects around the US.

Each year in early June, TCP hosts a jazz and golf weekend in upstate New York called Swing ‘N Jazz. Attendees take jazz master classes by day and jam with the pros by night. On Sunday, for a contribution to TCP, participants get to play golf with their jazz legend of choice. The project uses the donations to commission new works and sponsor promising young talent. At the 2005 Swing ‘N Jazz weekend Wesley served as musical director, and after the amateur golfer-musicians had gone home, he shepherded eight musicians from the festival into a nearby studio to record this CD.

Just about all the players contributed a tune; among the originals are Wesley’s funky “Wicked Walk,” drummer Akira Tana’s eerily sweet ballad “Dream Catcher,” and sax player Carl Arkin’s quixotic “Acirfa.” Jay Leonhart distinguishes himself as a bassist and perceptive vocalist on “Missin’ RB Blues,” guitarist Bob Sneider sends up an engaging waltz with “Par Three,” and drummer Rich Thompson lends the jaunty “Eventually.”

The closing “Head Start” is one of the last, always uplifting performances by the late bassist Keter Betts. Not to miss: Betts and Leonhart alone in their duet on “Just Squeeze Me.” Not to be overlooked: pianist Mike Holober’s understated arrangement of the time-honored title cut and trumpeter Marvin Stamm’s clarion playing throughout.

— Suzanne Lorge
© All About Jazz, August 2006