Joel Penner, Client of Kari-On Productions Publicty Services

Joel Penner
www.joelpenner.com

Accolade Highlights

Dave Howell, Rambles.net
Penner on trumpet and flugelhorn, with Michael Rose on sax, provides a full sound as they range from familiar tunes like "My Funny Valentine" and Freddie Hubbard's "Straight Life" to the lesser known "The Windup" by Keith Jarrett and "Tombo in 7/4" by Airto Moreira. One of the eight tracks is an original, "T&G," by sextet guitarist Doug MacDonald. The sextet also gives an interesting spin on "Laura," creating a Latin sound with the help of guest percussionist M.B. Gordy, who appears on four songs. Penner's sextet has an upbeat, propulsive sound. It has a big band feel, lively and solidly arranged, without any of the jarring nature of be-bop or experimental jazz. Penner, Rose and MacDonald provide wonderful, full tones over the rhythm section of Cengiz Yaltkaya on piano, Bill Von Ravensberg on bass and Steve Pemberton on drums.

Nancy Ann Lee, Jazz-Blues Report
The Joel Penner Sextet delivers a variety of standards by Cole Porter, Freddie Hubbard, David Raskin, Keith Jarrett, Richard Rodgers, on The Church of the
Little Black Dog (Sea Breeze Jazz), a California studio session. Playing trumpet & flugelhorn, Penner is backed by a solid crew on alluring arrangements of “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” “Straight Life,” “Laura,” “My Funny Valentine, and four more tunes. Penner excels with warm, plump tonalities. Drummer Steve Pemberton keeps tidy tempos. Other standout soloists are saxophonist Michael Rose and guitarist Doug MacDonald. Nice session.

John Roos, Inland Empire Weekly
The jazz grooves of Joel Penner are so pleasing to the ear that it's easy to overlook how sophisticated his sound can be. Influenced by the big band and bebop records of the ‘40s and ‘50s, Penner and his talented sextet keep jazz rooms jumpin' with memorable melody lines, percolating rhythms, and inventive solos. The band's interpretations of popular tunes by Cole Porter, Freddie Hubbard and Richard Rogers swing with a familiar, timeless glow. Yet Penner is no human jukebox stuck in reverse. The Burbank-based flugelhorn and trumpet player ventures into contemporary terrain as well, in selections like the funky Keith Jarrett number “The Windup,” found on Penner's 2005 release The Church of the Little Black Dog . This recording, in fact, demonstrates just how unpredictable Penner and his band—featuring stellar guitarist Doug MacDonald—get, roaming from the Latin-tinged “Invitation” to the original hard bop of MacDonald's “T&G” to Airto Moreira's percussion-heavy, Brazilian-spiced “Tombo in 7/4.” It's really not surprising that the multi-talented Penner doesn't limit himself to straight-ahead jazz.

Jim Santella, Cadence Magazine
Joel Penner with his sextet in a program of familiar standards and several pleasant surprizes. Saxophonist Michael Rose and guitarist Doug MacDonald serve as equitable musical partners, as the front line gives this ensemble a glad caress for each melody. Penner's trumpet and flugelhorn provide the session with a mellow tone and seamless phrasing, and he shares the spotlight with his band mates. His arias on "Laura" soar tenderly, making use of the trumpeter's greatest asset: the expressive manner with which he inteprets a song. Penner relies on his down-to-earth honesty to communicate with his audience. He convices musically the same way that a doctor assures his pateients: with a sincere approach and honesty. With its eclectic program of Straight-Ahad fun, the Joel Penner Sextet brings itself right into your circle of friends to remain ever faithful to the tradition.

Eric W. Saeger, Spike Magazine
The star-studded list of session and live experiences of the individual members of this left-coast jazz crew could have served to ruin their joint output, but the oldies they chose were given full-spa treatments that leave no room for improvement. Leadoff track "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" does up the Cole Porter standard with Glenn Miller panache and Weather Report levels of craftsmanship, former Boston Pops drummer Steve Pemberton tossing out impossible paradiddles as if he were feeding pigeons in the park. Although bandleader Penner's trumpet abilities are Jedi-level, he's generous with the spotlight, allowing Joe-Farrell-trained sax player Michael Rose plenty of room to stretch out; later on, Penner, Rose and ex-Buddy Rich guitarist Doug MacDonald share equal billing in Bronislau Kaper's "Invitation." One of the nicest bits here is, surprisingly enough, a "My Funny Valentine" that's neither hopelessly mawkish nor Sominex minimalist; Pemberton executes a surgical waltz beat underneath what eventually morphs into a brand new James Bond-ish melody. The one original, MacDonald's "T & G," is an upbeat jam that rounds out the rest of the choices in genial fashion. Not one hack to be heard - this is the disc of modernized ballroom your bottle of Dom has been waiting for.

Marshall Bowden, Jazzitude
The little black dog in question is Penner’s dachsund, Chihuahua, pit bull mix, name Jasmine, and she contributes some vocal work on the CD’s final track, a version of Airto Moreira’s “Tombo In 7/4.”. She is a cute little one, with super-large, pointy ears and a cute, quizzical expression. The pup also served to pique my curiosity about this disc, even though I could clearly see from the track listing that we were dealing with an array of jazz standards for the most part. I’m happy to report that the Joel Penner Sextet have a winner with Curhch of the Little Black Dog, which turns out to be a straightforward sextet that offers some nice twists on the arrangements of these tunes. In addition, Penner and his band play well and don’t seem to find it difficult to keep the listener’s interest throughout.

“You’d Be So Nice To Come Home Through” starts things off by creating a large group sound for the sextet, with a nice intro on which Penner plays the leading figure and saxophonist Michael Rose blows some nice tenor responses. Then it’s off on the tune, with some nice ensemble playing that shows some effort has been put into the arrangements. They’re all done by Rick Hills, who also contributes organ/synthesizer to the Airto number. Next is the old standby “Invitation,” done as an easy swing number with a hint of Latin, courtesy of guest percussionist M.B. Gordy. Guitarist Doug MacDonald gets off a really nice guitar solo, while Penner and Rose outline chords behind him. The Freddy hubbard tune “Straight Life” introduces a bit of a funkier groove and gives the band a chance to demonstrate that they can play equally well in less traditional styles. Penner’s solo builds nicely, and nearly everyone gets in on the act, with pianist Gengiz Yaltkaya, MacDonald, and drummer Steve Pemberton all taking solo turns. Rose really pushes it to the boiling point in his brief solo, throwing in a few squeaks and squawks that give his solo an edge.

According to Penner’s website, the set list of this CD came to him in a dream, and he felt that “Laura” would be the focus of the album. The intro is a familiar ballad, with Penner stating the theme simply, yet eloquently. However, it doesn’t take long for the song to morph into an all-out Latin jazz number, complete with percussion and great drumming. The band is more than up to the task, playing a great round of solos and jamming through the montuno section. It was exciting to see Keith Jarrett’s “The Windup” on the track listing, because it’s always been a favorite performance by Jarrett’s ‘European’ quartet. The group attacks the piece with energy, and the arrangement, which passes the melody around between the horns and the piano, is tight and exciting. Penner takes it to church at the start of his solo, which he plays backed only by drummer Pemberton before the whole rhythm section kicks in again and carries him along. Valtkaya plays his best solo on this track, fittingly, since a pianist wrote it. By the end of these middle two tracks, I was breathless.

“My Funny Valentine” allows for some breath-catching, and Penner plays this trumpeter must-do standard beautifully. His tone is clearer and brighter than either Miles or Chet Baker on their versions of the tune, yet it does not lack an element of wistfulness. Rounding out the set are guitarist MacDonald’s composition “T&G,” which provides the basis for a basic blowing session, and Moreira’s “Tombo in 7/4,” which besides being in 7/4 is also a very energetic tune.

Church of the Little Black Dog is one of those really nice surprises that you get when you review records regularly—it’s unpretentious, shows something of the personality of the musician behind the music, but most importantly, the music itself is well-crafted and wholly entertaining.

Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz
Penner and saxophonist Michael Rose render snazzy, finger-snapping charts through vigorously flowing swing, jazz-funk and other styles. The band also delves into Latin terrain, along with fast-paced bop lines. The highlight for me is their radiant, quasi-jazz-shuffle-blues spin on Keith Jarrett’s “The Windup,” where guitarist Doug Macdonald trades sprightly fours with the soloists as they respectively redefine melodies and harmonic intervals. Ultimately, Penner and his sextet churn out a series of stridently conceived and slightly edgy jazz standards. It’s a workmanlike effort, performed with passion and gusto.

D. Oscar Groomes, O's Place Jazz Newsletter
4/3 stars - Good Session
This is a swinging sextet with a lot of energy. They breathe life into eight jazz standards to get you tapping your feet starting with "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". Joel leads the charge on trumpet along with Michael Rose (sax), Cengiz Yaltkaya (p), Doug MacDonald (g), Bill Von Ravernsberg (b) and Steve Pemberton (d). Doug picks up the melody on "Invitation" and adds a cool solo on "Straight Life". The brass accents are crisp with as they move into Latin jazz space on "Laura". Penner switches to flugelhorn for "My Funny Valentine" to round out a very good session!

Jim Santella, L.A. Jazz Scene
Moving seamlessly between ensemble passages and creative soloing, Joel Penner's sextet rewards his audience with a session filled with pleasant surprises. The leader, a local trumpeter and veteran of California jazz from San Diego to San Francisco, brings a bright, resonant tone, brilliant articulation, and remarkable agility to his audience through his horns. Penner's brassy trumpet and mellow flugelhorn form a cohesive sound that proves both fluid and energized.

Michael P. Gladstone, All About Jazz
Penner gets off to a fine start with a little big band sound on Cole Porter's “You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To,” with a much bigger sound than you'd expect from a sextet (actually augmented to a nonet on this recording). Among some of the other highlights are a different tempo on the Bronislau Kaper jazz standard “Invitation,” which includes a tasty Doug MacDonald guitar solo. Freddie Hubbard's 1970s hit “Straight Life” serves as a springboard for Michael Rose's tenor sax and Steve Pemberton's drums. “Laura” begins life as a pretty ballad, with Penner stating David Raksin's theme, but shortly the tempo morphs into spirited Latin jazz per M.B. Gordy's percussive heat, in addition to more tenor sax from Rose and guitar from MacDonald. Finally, Joel Penner concludes the track with a torrid solo. Penner also gets the opportunity to shine on the Rodgers and Hart standard “My Funny Valentine,” which includes a shifting time signature. Doug MacDonald contributes an original, “T & G,” with another fine guitar solo. The album concludes with a bit of excitement in the group's treatment of Airto Moreira's “Tombo in 7/4,” which appropriately features a percussive finale.

John Gilbert, EJazz News
5 Stars
This sextet has a big band quality that jumps right at you with super arrangements and hip soloists. "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is highlighted by leader Penners cool flugelhorn solo. This tune gets off the ground in a hurry. "T & G"..This is another gem from the pen of Doug MacDonald, a guitarist of impeccable style along with an uncanny ability to make any tune swing. Solid piano and floogie solos are bebop at its best. MacDonald's solo is pure magic with ideas that romp along beautifully. Some great
exchanges add additional hipness to an already hip composition. This is a quality ensemble with first class players, top notch arrangements and above all great tunes from the masters, performed with due deference to them. I recommend this album highly.

Aaron Fensterheim, My Kind of Jazz
Strange name for a CD "The Church of the Little Black Dog" but don't let that stop you from putting this CD on your playlist. Strong ensemble and solo work by all the members. Nice take on Hubbard's "Straight Life" and Keith Jarrett's "The Windup". Major group needing more exposure.

J Sin, Smother Magazine
Wag the dog? In this case it's uptempo jazz swing doing all the wagging. Vibrant bass lines that are rich in rhythm and played with ferocious skill dominate the mix as the piano player plunks on. These are all highly skilled musicians who know a thing or three about assembling great jazz compositions-a rare feat and one to be admired heavily.

Nicholas Sheffo, Fulvue Drive-In
Another great grouping of Jazz musicians can be heard on the new CD Joel Penner Sextet – The Church Of The Little Black Dog, some very energy-laden performances. the musicians love the music and the CD is one of the best group efforts to date in the genre we have come across, so serious Jazz fans should consider this one required listening.

Karl Stober, Ejazz News
“Church Of The Little Black Dog” is a lesson in how “cool” goes into meltdown, rich in sound and free to express rhythm…. Leader Joel Penner seizes his horn and lights up the sound waves with his band to ignite a driven and focused lesson in groove. A passionate love affair with jazz is expressed in this effort. Forget what others may say, “Church Of The Little Black Dog” is a heated listen and one that stays with you! Released by Sea Breeze Jazz in 2005 the concealed talents of Joel Penner Sextet are unearthed, set astray on those who enjoy dynamic arrangements. Innovative and diverse is one way to express this sextet as they act upon their talents. “Invitation” is almost nine minutes of brass ecstasy wrapped in smooth. In comes the keyboard which solo’s with ease and the sax drives an outro with force. This is a very fine piece of jazz resonance!

Ken Dryden, AMG (All Music Guide)
Joel Penner is a veteran musician who evidently makes his recording debut as a leader with this 2005 release for Sea Breeze. The trumpeter and flügelhornist leads a tight-knit group through a set mixing standards, jazz, and compositions arranged by Rick Hils. Penner opens with a spirited interpretation of "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," while "Invitation" incorporates a funky backbeat with a touch of Latin percussion. Penner's mellow trumpet is featured to good effect in "Laura," while guitarist Doug MacDonald scored the lush setting of "My Funny Valentine," showcasing tenor saxophonist Michael Rose and the leader on flügelhorn.

Lois DeSocio, Jazzreview
Trumpeter, flugelhorn master and bandleader, Joel Penner, and his sextet of some of the jazz world’s most accomplished and respected musicians have released their second general jazz CD, The Church of the Little Black Dog. So named in honor of Penner’s little black dog, Jasmine, a “sweet, loving, happy dachshund, Chihuahua, pit bull mix,” this second endeavor by the Joel Penner Sextet is by no means religiously defined. It’s big band and beyond, a mixture of jazz classics, Latin, a bit of be-bop and inspirational funk. Excuse the pun—it’s jazz dogma. The disc opens opens with Cole Porter’s, “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.” Rick Hils’ original arrangement is all big band with upbeat, jumping, jazzy solos. Tune number two, Bronislau Kaper’s “Invitation” is finger-snapping cool; slowly swinging its way through solos without missing a beat. Keep snapping. “Straight Life,” a Freddy Hubbard tune is spirited, funky and moves to the beat of an authoritative drum. The arrangement of the classic, “Laura,” by David Raskin is anything but classic. In fact, it’s a modernized merging of drum solos with Latin overtones that compliments Raskin’s mesmerizing melody. “The Windup,” by Keith Jarrett is all playful piano, happy horns, dynamic drums, and guitar solos, all culminating in a round of rhythm. “My Funny Valentine” is as unpredictable as love—it blooms slowly; escalating into a lovely, pure rendition of Richard Roger’s ballad that lingers after it’s over. Guitarist Doug McDonald composed “T & G” which be-bobs like the best of them in simple, uncluttered fashion. But the best is saved for last—the joyful, “Tombo in 7/4” by Airto Moreira. It’s Latin-infused and will make you want to rumba. It’s got it all—including synthesizer (by arranger Rick Hils, who joins the band for this track,) whistles, great drums, and a bluesy bark by Jasmine herself.

Bruce Von Stiers, BVS Reviews
It's a collection of jazz songs that have deliciously unique arrangements. My favorite song on the album is a renditionof Freddy Hubbard's "Straight Life." This song has so much energy it's hard to explain. But it is a toe tapping, bodyswaying, good time of a song. Joel blasts away on his horn and the rest of the band keeps pace with him. Joel Penneris a really good trumpet player. The musiicans that he got together for the Joel Penner Sextet play well and have an awesome combined sound. If you haven't heard The Church of the Little Black Dog, you are missing one of the best jazz albums that has been recorded in the last few years.

Paula Craven-Edelstein, Sounds of Timeless Jazz
Joel Penner's debut on Sea Breeze Records is a very good indication of his ability to interpret such priceless standards as "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," Laura," and "My Funny Valentine." The ensemble does a good job with thesong selection and The Church of the Little Black Dog," should introduce Penner to a wider audience.

Doug Gruber, WBOI FM, Fort Wayne Indiana
Great Sound!

Joe Kocherhans, KSDS FM 88.3 San Diego
I really like this CD.

Jack Simpson, WUCF FM 89.9 Orlando Florida
I took one listen to this CD and now I play it on all of my shows.

Bob Comden, LA Jazz Scene (Live Performance Review)
The group opened with a swinging version of "Jeannine." Hils, Rose and Penner added some fine solor work on this one. Pemberton is a first rate drummer and really pushed the band hard. The closing tune was an uptempo "Be My Love." Penner's crisp trumpet work was energizing.

Vanessa Mejia, The U.C Riverside Highlander (Live Performance Review)
The musical group brought quality music to the jazz-hungry ears of U.C.R. Joel Penner's trumpet styling stood out.