Tommy Cecil & Bill Mays Present “Sondheim & More” at The Mainstay

Bassist Tommy Cecil and pianist Bill Mays join forces again to present jazz interpretations of the works of Stephen Sondheim at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday July 5 at 8:00 pm. Admission is $15.

Following their success with the recording, “Side By Side Sondheim Duos,” noted jazz pianist Bill Mays and the well-known bassist Tommy Cecil have revisited Sondheim with a new CD “Our Time: Sondheim Duos, Vol. 2.”

All About Jazz reviewer Dr. Judith Schlesinger says the recording is “laced with superb technique, imaginative arrangements, feeling and wit” and that “it all swings like crazy. All told, ‘Our Time’ provides the ideal musical combination: it’s food for the brain, joy to the ears, and a boost to the spirit.”

Cecil and Mays will be playing tunes from both recordings at this concert. They are working in the long tradition of piano/bass duos which starts with Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton, and continues with the likes of Oscar Peterson and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Tommy Flanagan and George Mraz, and Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez. The freedom and intimacy in such a pairing shines on every tune and the opportunities for sly interplay and sudden wit are exploited to the fullest whether it’s trading melodies or phrases, or nudging the dynamics during a solo.

Sondheim has rarely been recorded and performed in an instrumental jazz setting. Cecil and Mays continue to shed new light on his works with creative and appealing arrangements that reveal fresh nuances to these masterful compositions.

The idea for the collaboration took root when Mays brought his arrangement of “Send In The Clowns” to a gig they played together at Blues Alley in Washington, DC. The performance of the piece went so well that Cecil suggested they ought to record an entire album of Sondheim. The recording “Side By Side: Sondheim Duos” received so many rave reviews that they were encouraged to make the second recording, “Our Time.”

Stephen Sondheim is the heir apparent to the group of songwriters who wrote for the Broadway stage from the 1920s through the 1950s: Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and Hart. The music of these composers is a dominant part of the standard repertoire for jazz musicians today.

It seems logical for this tradition to continue with the songs of Stephen Sondheim but Sondheimʼs songs are different from those of his Broadway predecessors. They are more integral to the context of their shows and as a result, less easy to extract as stand-alone instrumental pieces. They are also less formulaic, which makes interpreting them for a jazz setting a greater challenge. But it is these very elements of Sondheimʼs music that offer unique rewards for both the jazz performer and the audience.

Pianist/composer Bill Mays’ career as a professional musician spans the last 50 years and includes a multitude of musical endeavors. Following four years as a bandsman in the Navy he spent 15 years as a session player in the Hollywood studios. In 1984 he relocated to New York City, firmly establishing himself as an in demand sideman and leader of his own ensembles. He has worked with jazz legends Benny Golson, Red Mitchell, Gerry Mulligan, Bud Shank, Frank Sinatra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan and Phil Woods. His many recordings (solo, duo, trio and sextet) are well-documented on the Chiaroscuro, Concord, Palmetto and Steeplechase record labels. A prolific composer and arranger, Mays has written extended works for bass, flute and woodwind septet as well as pieces for big band and orchestra.

Since 1976, jazz bassist Tommy Cecil has been a fixture in the Washington DC jazz scene – accompanying singers; playing trad, bebop, Ellington repertory concerts, new age, and contemporary music; and presenting his own compositions. Cecil has performed in concerts and at festivals across the country and around the world and has worked extensively with fellow DC-based players, including Shirley Horn, Buck Hill, John Eaton, Chuck Redd, Andrew White, and Charlie Byrd. He has also performed with a who’s who of jazz including Joe Henderson, Anita O’Day, Teddy Wilson, Chet Baker, Cab Calloway, Phil Woods, Benny Carter, Buddy DeFranco, Tommy Flanagan, Ken Peplowski, Fred Hersch, Sonny Stitt, Monty Alexander, Mose Allison, Cedar Walton, Milt Jackson and Bill Mays.

This concert, which will also include some classics from the Great American Songbook, is dedicated to Stephen Sondheim who at 84 is still working on various projects.

The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website mainstayrockhall.org.