Adroitly arranged Beatles Wayne Alpern – Scarab

Adroitly arranged Beatles Wayne Alpern – SCARAB:  Pianist Billy Test plays Wayne’s takes on ten tantalizing and adroitly arranged Beatles tunes… the CD clearly meets Wayne’s goal to “transform the ubiquitous into the unique, the commonplace into the extraordinary”… BEAUTIFULLY!  Though you won’t find LIVE videos, the entire CD can be accessed on the Wayne Alpern – Topic channel on YouTube (you’ll find other very interesting CD’s there, too)…

The album opens with “Let It Be“, and it’s a version like none you’ve ever heard… in fact, that’s what I enjoyed most about Wayne’s arrangements of all these famous tunes… they are totally unique, and will engage your ears from the very first note!

Everyone will recognize the intimate strains of the beautiful “Blackbird“, but Billy uses all ranges of his keyboard to emphasize and strengthen your listening experience… both bold and delightful.

You’ll have your own visions of “power brokers gone mad” (I certainly have mine, but we won’t get into that) as you listen to Wayne’s arrangement of the closer, “Nowhere Man” , but by the middle of the tune, it emerges into something more hopeful!

My personal favorite of the ten offered up is (hands-down) Wayne’s talented interpretation of “Norwegian Wood“… it’s the longest piece on the album – 5:08, so it has plenty of room to develop… what impressed me most (again) is Billy’s talent at getting the most from his piano.

I give Wayne and Billy a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.98.  Get more information on Wayne’s page for the release.    Rotcod Zzaj

#Adroitly #arranged #Beatles #Wayne #Alpern

Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews
Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews
Dick Metcalf (aka Rotcod Zzaj) is a globe-hopping musician and poet who spent many years roving the world until he finally settled in his current abode, Lacey, Washington... just down the road from Seattle. He started IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION magazine in 1990 (still being published), and Contemporary Fusion Reviews magazine in 2016. He also was a keyboard player & singer for many years... you can hear (and download for free) many of those works at his "Internet Archive Collection". If you'd like to support our efforts and get something in return, there are also a few of these albums for sale on the Rotcod Zzaj BandCamp site"

Related Articles

Latest Articles