Joey “G-Clef” Cavaseno – Portrait of the Beast (1992)

Joey “G-Clef Cavaseno has had a storied career in jazz music, as well as a parallel career in the hip-hop and alternative music universe, under the moniker G-Clef da Mad Komposa. Around the time of this recording, in the early 1990s, Cavaseno’s quintet was playing various intimate jazz performances around the tri-state New York area.  In late January of 1992, at Michael Brorby’s Acoustic Recording studio in Brooklyn, an albums worth of music was recorded. This music has never seen the light of day until now, as Cavaseno recently uncovered old DAT tapes, digitally converted and then remastered using the latest technology, as of 2023. Featured alongside a 24 year old Cavaseno on this recording are none less than the very top shelf of what mainstream jazz had to offer back then, such as 20 year old William Ash on guitar, 20 year old Ari Roland on bass, Rob Bargad on piano, and Fukuski Tainaka on drums. Thanks to this rare find, we may gain a unique perspective into the origins of some of the best names in jazz music today. The even better news is, it’s not only an important document, but still wholly swinging and enjoyable. Perhaps no one would ever have heard from Cavaseno’s quintet if not for this release, 31 years later.

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1. Portrait of the Beast (Take 1) (Joseph Cavaseno){6:37}

2. Battle Royal (Duke Ellington){6:38}

3. Blues Forrinstance (Take 2) (Joseph Cavaseno){6:14}

4. You Are Too Beautiful (Richard Rogers/Lorenz Hart){5:24}

5. Black Butterfly (Duke Ellington){4:02}

6. Smart (Take 2) (Eddie Barefield){5:26}

7. Something “Bout Believing (Duke Ellington){7:40]

8. Portrait of the Beast (Take 2) (Joseph Cavaseno){6:49]

9.  Blues Forrinstance (Take 1) (Joseph Cavaseno){4:56}

10. Smart (Take 1) (Eddie Barefield){6:29}

11. Blues Forrinstance (short outtake) (Joseph Cavaseno){0:52}

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Personnel:

Joey “G-Clef” Cavaseno: alto saxophone, leader

Rob Bargad: piano

William Ash: guitar

Ari Roland: bass

Fukushi Tainaka: drums

Recorded on January 21, 1992

Michael Brorby: engineer

At Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY