''Extension'' is the third album by composer/arranger/keyboardist Clare Fischer, and his first for big band, recorded and released in 1963 on the Pacific Jazz label, reissued on CD (together with the 1967 LP, ''Songs for Rainy Day Lovers'') in 2002 as ''America the Beautiful'', and, under its original name, in 2012."Extension (Musical CD, 2012)"
WorldCat. Retrieved 2013-03-18 According to Ed Beach, disk jockey of the WRVR 106.7 FM New York radio program “Just Jazz,” on this album, all of the solos, except for those of Clare Fischer and tenor saxophonist Jerry Coker, were written out (by Fischer), not improvised.

Reception

Reviewing the 2012 CD reissue for All About Jazz, Troy Collins calls ''Extension'' Fischer's "masterpiece," representing "a majestic culmination of his concepts, drawing upon myriad influences, including rich Ellingtonian voicings, the angular harmonic intervals of bebop, and bold modernist innovations proffered by classical composers such as

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as H ...

and

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throug ...

." Expanding on this notion, Collins continues:

Counter to the norms of the time, these meticulously scored big-band charts are light on extended improvisation—but intentionally so—as Fischer considered the relationship between composition and arrangement equally important. Maintaining thematic control as primary soloist, Fischer proves to be a concise, yet original interpreter, demonstrated by his adroit pianism on the impressionistic tone poem "Quiet Dawn." His kaleidoscopic Hammond organ work, revealed elsewhere on the record, is equally colorful.

Alternating with the leader for the spotlight is tenor saxophonist Jerry Coker... Together Fischer and Coker accentuate the date's prismatic colors and variegated moods, which are by turns charmingly old fashioned, like the breezy "Ornithardy," or subversively modern, such as the jaunty "Igor," dedicated to
Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...
. As part of the same continuum that includes Gil Evans, Stan Kenton and Gary McFarland, Fischer reveals a distinctive and unique compositional style. Accessible and sophisticated, Extension is a welcome reissue that will entertain and engage curious listeners on multiple levels.

Track listing

All compositions by Clare Fischer. # "Ornithardy" - 3:29 # "Quiet Dawn" - 4:36 # "Bittersweet" - 3:43 # "Igor" - 3:23 # "Extension" - 6:32 # "Solette" - 1:08 # "Passacaglia" - 3:16 # "Canto Africano" - 3:54

Personnel

Ornithardy, Extension, Soloette / Passacaglia

* Bud Shank - flute, alto saxophone *Don Shelton - alto saxophone, clarinet * Jerry Coker - tenor saxophone * Gary Foster - tenor saxophone, clarinet *John Lowe - E-flat contrabass clarinet, baritone saxophone, clarinet, piccolo *Gil Falco - tenor trombone *Bob Knight - bass trombone * Vincent DeRosa - 1st horn *Richard Perissi - 2nd horn *Fred Teuber - 3rd horn * Tommy Johnson - tuba * Clare Fischer - piano, organ, alto saxophone *Bob West - bass * Larry Bunker - drums

Quiet Dawn, Bittersweet, Igor, Canto Africano

*John Lowe - 1st flute, alto flute, piccolo *

Sam Most Samuel Most (December 16, 1930 – June 13, 2013) was an American jazz flutist, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist, based in Los Angeles. He was "probably the first great jazz flutist", according to jazz historian Leonard Feather. Biography He ...

- 2nd flute, alto flute, piccolo *Gary Foster - alto clarinet, tenor saxophone *Louis Ciotti - clarinet *Ben Kantor - clarinet *Don Shelton - E-flat clarinet, alto saxophone *Jerry Coker - bass clarinet * Jack Nimitz - E-flat contrabass clarinet, baritone saxophone *Gil Falco - tenor trombone *Bob Knight - bass trombone * Vincent DeRosa - 1st horn *Richard Perissi - 2nd horn *Fred Teuber - 3rd horn *Tommy Johnson - tuba *Larry Bunker - vibraphone *Clare Fischer - piano, organ, lujon *Bob West - bass * Colin Bailey - drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Extension (Clare Fischer album) 1963 albums Big band albums Clare Fischer albums Pacific Jazz Records albums