Open Sesame, new from trombonist Joe Fiedler, is a jazzy look at songs from the long-running children’s television show Sesame Street. The broadly experienced Fiedler is currently the program’s music director and arranger, a task he juggles with performing in his own bands and working as a sideman with the likes of Satoko Fujii and Eddie Palmieri. For this date, he’s enlisted the help of trumpeter Steven Bernstein as special guest with his regular quartet of saxophonist Jeff Lederer, electric bassist Sean Conly and drummer Michael Sarin. The band is clearly having a lot of fun with this material, just as Fiedler intended when he began the project. The quintet’s vibe is infectious, even when Lederer injects some free jazz style into his solo on songs like Bein’ a Pig or The Batty Bat. Those pieces, and many of the others, were composed by Joe Raposo, who, with Jeffrey Moss, was one of the show’s songwriters and musical directors in the early years. It takes a special attitude to compose music designed specifically for young ears, and the long run of Sesame Street, now half a century old, is a testament to their success. Fiedler and company pay creative homage to the trombonist’s predecessors on the show, putting their own spin on these genially melodic songs. Listening to Open Sesame is a wonderful experience, from the opening entreaty Somebody Come and Play to the brief Jazz Alphabet that closes the disc with the band chanting their ABCs. Happily recommended.
Multiphonics Music MM 004; Steven Bernstein (tpt, slide tpt*) Joe Fiedler (tbn) Jeff Lederer (ss, ts) Sean Conly (el b) Michael Sarin (d); Mount Vernon, NY, May 31-June 1, 2018; Somebody Come and Play/ Sesame Street Theme/ Doin’ the Pigeon/ Rubber Duckie*/ Sing/ Has Anybody Seen My Dog/ Pinball Number Count/ Pigs Love Song (I Love Being a Pig)/ Pig Interlude/ Magic Pig/ Pig Interlude 2/ Bein’ a Pig/ Jazz #10/ The Batty Bat/ People in Your Neighborhood/ Put Down the Duckie/ Jazz Alphabet; 65:16. www.joefiedler.com
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