Aaron Weinstein is one of those souls who is blessed with extraordinary talent and focus...and the
company he's keeping at age 19 (when A Handful of Stars was recorded in January 2005) is proof that
he's a force of musical nature. His loving touch on violin will make you laugh, cry and want to
fall in love. Most of all Aaron leaves you with no choice but to swing!!!! If you don't know how,
heıll take you to school.
The muses have been whispering to Aaron Weinstein big time telling him to surround himself with the
best musicians, let them be themselves, choose gorgeous tunes, play the melody and let the velocity
of swing take over. So hold on to your hat!
Guitar legend and inventor Les Paul, who loves Aaron, says it's always a pleasure to be surrounded
by great people. Aaron has got to be blissed out being surrounded with the likes of master
percussionist, Joe Ascione of "The Frank and Joe Show," bassist, Nicki Parrott, guitarists, Bucky
and John Pizzarelli and saxophonist, Houston Person.
I heard through the grapevine that Bucky bestowed the title of honorary Pizzarelli on Aaron a couple
of years ago and Bucky confirmed that report in January during the recording of A Handful of Stars.
Given that endorsement, there's not much else that you need to know.
If you think of good music as a form of good cooking, it all starts with the intention and skill of
the cook. Think of Aaron as a master chef, intent on serving the best. It's all about the
ingredients and this band brings a whole lot of soul and a whole lot of swing to the table. Every
single time Houston takes a solo itıs like being enveloped in honey.
Ascione and Parrott have done a rhythmic mind meld...as usual Joe is all over the rhythm with
lightning speed (are you sure there's just one drummer in that man's body???) Nicki is right there
with him. These amazing musicians are providing a launching pad for Aaron Weinstein's takeoff.
Make no mistake, Aaron Weinstein is a rising star!
The songs:
The first song, After You've Gone, sets the tone and lays down the law: this band is here to
take care of business. (I love that reference to pops Louis Armstrong at the end and the way Aaron
work the closing note)
Samba De Orpheu - let's go to brasil!!!! and swing all the way there and back! Ascione and
Parrott on top of the rhythm..Aaron flying over head, John Pizzarelli with the fills...the swing
radar gun is useless.
If youıre not in love, youıll wish you were when you hear Let's Get Lost. John Pizzarelli's
vocals are a lesson in phrasing and using the voice to caress the spirit of a song...his breath
control effortless and his guitar exquisite. Aaron's violin will lull you into a reverie from
the first note to the last. Gorgeous---I lured a friend into a state of deep relax using this
song. The seque from Let's Get Lost to Dark Eyes...great sequencing.
Dark Eyes - Djembe Joe! Vintage Ascione. From the first beat you know this song is going
places. And if you can keep up with Josewell, that just says it all. Controlled swinging and
those musical ideas popping up all over the place...Bucky's guitar - get with the program or youıll
have to catch up! I love Houston's solo...like a bear hug. And Nicki...like I said she and Joe
are rhythmic soul mates. Aaronıs call and response with Houston is mmmm mmm GOOD!
Two of my favorites are
Swingtime in the
Rockies and If Dreams Come True. Youıve
gotta dance! Nicki Parrott was dancing in the studio listening to the playback of Swingtime in
the Rockies...I was wishing I had worn my dancing shoes...you gotta love it! Go aaron Go! Your
ideas are so fluid and If Dreams Come True is seamless. That rhythmic opener from Joe bears
repeatingso much going on in that one idea! Nicki and Bucky are killer. If you swing any harder
weıll fall off!!!! I just love the ending....the way Aaron hits the closing note (flawless) and
Joe's ender. Baby! Baby! Baby! Reminds me of a jazzed rattlesnake whoıs doing the charming rather
than being charmed. Wow!! I played that over and over again. You guys are a study in musical
confidence. We should all live life with such focused intention and skill.
Someone to Watch Over
Me -- total tenderness. Lifts you unexpectedly when you're drifting
downward. Sweet. Sweet. Sweet. The way you make the final note flutter.
Pennies From Heaven....whimsical and beautiful. A musical glimpse of how you guys think...
love love love the modulation.
Dinner With Friends....Aaron where on earth did you learn to swing like that? The dancers
are gonna eat that up!!!! Houston! big fat sound over that killer groove! Aaron and Houston
talking back and forth and then melding. And that Ascione solo...he is simply the best. And when
you guys come back after the drum solo...oh yes!!
Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me. Duke would have loved it! Louis Armstrong's clarinetist,
Joe Muranyi told me recently that playing slowly is much harder than tearing through a song. With
this arrangement, you can hear the swinging foundation upon which this song is built. After Bucky's
solo, Aaronıs talking to us and it's just so clear that muses are talking to him and telling him to
swing in complete sentences. I can't wait to hear what else theyıre gonna tell him and how he will
interpret the instructions.
A Handful of Stars is one of the best ways you can make the molecules in the air vibrate!
buy it now!
Marcia Salter
ABC News Radio
January 2005