Bandleader and arranger Ian Charleton has assembled 18 solid musicians to present a tasty set of his varied originals and creative arrangements. This is his sophomore effort after his well-received Brain Chatter album in 2013. Ian Charleton started playing tenor sax in fifth grade, began composing at age 15, earned degrees in jazz studies at University of North Texas, and has spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy Band. Many of the pieces on A Fresh Perspective were written and arranged with key soloists in mind, and to capitalize on the strengths of stellar musicians like Bart Kuebler (piano), Kerry Moffitt (trumpet, flugelhorn), Keith Philbrick (tenor sax), Richard Garcia (alto/soprano sax), David Fatek (baritone sax), John Lloyd (trombone), Ryan Persaud (bass), Wes Wagner (guitar) and others.

Charleton’s four originals range from the joyful “1 West 67^th Street” and relaxed “Sunday Morning” to the more adventurous “A Fresh Perspective” and swinging “Party on Park.” Modernized, reinvented renditions of “Stardust,” “When Sunny Gets Blue” and “Tea For Two” were a pleasure to hear, and I also enjoyed the band’s light funky presentation of Stefan Karlsson’s “El Otono” and the two classics featuring Ian’s wife, Emily, on vocals (“Everything I’ve Got” and “Blue Skies”).  This formidable group has a compelling big band sound. The album’s variety takes us from the soothing comfort of restful pieces to impressive, up-tempo, playful statements. The band appears to have good chemistry as they romp and shine with a consistency of presence and dynamics.   (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)