Forty years ago today, on March 18, 1981, just a few days after appearing as a guest artist on Gerald Wilson's Orchestra Of The Eighties, Robert Conti, a native of Philadelphia returned to the same Los Angeles studio, to record "The Jazz Quintet" for the L.A. based Discovery Records Label. As a long time patron of the jazz arts, and an avid fan of jazz guitar, it is my pleasure to present, with permission, "Rotation" - one of seven original compositions, all masterfully penned by Robert Conti for this remarkable album.
Rotation presents the listener with the very "essence of the era when Bop was king", with a captivating stellar theme over the underlying harmonic structure of Cherokee, the Ray Noble standard, a favorite of jazz musicians, and often regarded as a rite of passage for jazz musicians, due to the continuous modulations within its harmonic structure. Additional credit is extended to the veteran Executive Record Producer, Albert Marx, as he successfully assembled the A-List musicians that Robert requested for this superb seven track outing. Of particular interest, the "Rotation" theme is sixty four measures, clocking in at a sizzling 296 beats per minute. Following the opening theme, note how skillfully Robert flawlessly segues into his sixty four measure solo - at this blistering tempo.
As evident, the extreme technical demands of the upper level tempo of "Rotation" were mere child's play to this group of highly skilled musicians, wherein each delivered their stunning talent and performance! Indeed, the participants of this musical marathon were exhausted, however, there was a collective smile upon all their faces.
Glenn Scharaga, Patron Of The Jazz Arts Los Angeles, CA USA
PS: Just after completing the above narrative, I was informed that due to demand, a Video Master Class of "Rotation" is in production for a Summer 2025
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