Ron Kaplan Jazz Ambassadors
Kapland Records

©2004 Kapland Records

By Leonid Auskern

Younger music listeners who have grown up on a steady diet of rap may find the music on the album Jazz Ambassadors outdated. However, after listening to this compilation, I must warn you that if you keep that opinion, you are locking yourself out of a musical paradise with the shackles of narrow-mindedness. The world of music expands much further than rap and Ron Kaplan gives us the key to entering the magical sphere of classical jazz with his new release.

In the ‘30s the phrase classical jazz may have sounded as strange as classical music did to Bach or Handel, but today it is considered a legitimate sub-genre. For the children of the ‘80s, both Ellington and Monk worked in this field in the distant past. Now Ron Kaplan sings to the accompaniment of a piano trio in the Jazz Ambassadors, showcasing the music of this ageless classic.

From the very first song “It Don’t Mean a Thing” these ambassadors show the authority of their musical diplomatic mission. The rest of the album continues the tribute to the bread and butter of jazz – “Body and Soul,” “Stella by Starlight,” “Round Midnight,” and “Green Dolphin Street.” Ron Kaplan’s lyrics to Oliver Nelson’s “Stolen Moments” are dedicated to his passion in life – music. “In the realm of a jazz composition lie the blues and the abstract truth. It’s so clear when I hear its divineness from the river of consciousness,” writes Kaplan. Sadly, the arrangers are not named anywhere on the CD cover or in the liner notes. Still, all the songs are played magnificently, especially “Body and Soul,” presented here with a smooth bossa nova flavor.

Of Ron Kaplan’s three albums reviewed by Jazz-Quad, I consider Jazz Ambassadors to be the most interesting. The subtle complexity of the soloist’s voice – a blend of fragile beauty and virility – is magnificently accompanied by the background trio. This instrumental support showcases the skills of bass player Dan Robbins and pianist Eddie Mendenhall. This album really is a must-hear.

© 2004 Jazz-Quad
Translators: Eya Tkachenko and Spencer Robinson
Translation Mentor: Laurie Binnington

*The Russian review conveys a slightly different interpretation of the English lyrics above as follows: “The blues and the abstract truth lie at the root of jazz composition. This is exceptionally apparent when I hear these divine sounds, as you pluck them from the stream of consciousness."