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13 Jan

Project Omaha by Bill Wimmer

Recorded live in Vail, Colorado on May 13 and 14, 2008 at Kelly Liken, Project Omaha purrs with a swing-jazz versing and hip shaking samba tassels pinwheeling the ballroom-winding dances. Featuring saxophonist Bill Wimmer at the helm with Dave Stryker on guitar, Mark Luebbe on bass, Victor Lewis on drums, Tony Gulizia on keyboards and vocals, and his brother Joey Gulizia on percussion, Project Omaha has the comfy swing-jazz esthetics which beckon audiences onto the dancefloor. The band shows merit in covering tunes like Rodgers and Hart’s "She Was Too Good To Me" and Morales and Jobim’s "Dreamer/Felicidade," uniting classic jazz with modern swing while modulated by Latin quivers that spice up the silky shimmies.

The smooth blues voicing of Tony Gulizia’s register is warm and welcoming as he coasts across the cool jazz padding of "I Thought About You" and "She Was Too Good To Me." Wimmer’s saxophone sprints lively across the samba riffs of "Soy Califa" and changes to a more reclining position along the ramparts of bubbly guitar pizzicatos from Dave Stryker in "Geo Rose." The honeyed riffs of "Rhyme, Rhythm And Song" are luxuriating as the sinuous smoky poufs of the saxophone wander lazily and silhouette Tony Gulizia’s vocals tenderly through "Dreamer/Felicidade." It is music made for a particular lifestyle seeking to walk through life at a casual pace, and ruminate over its beautiful vistas. The ballroom sashays of "Gypsy Blue" are cloistered in percolating grooves, while "Cherry Red" is draped in sleek blues rock suspenders and soft funk beading. The final track "Carnaval" steps out of the ballroom-swing imagery of the previous tracks and enters a new realm of sassy pop and contemporary jazz that shimmers like a field of crystals dancing jubilantly in the sunlight.

Project Omaha was initiated by Wimmer and tailored to Tony Gulizia style of singing. The song selection on the album brings out the group’s finest qualities like Tony’s bluesy register, the sexy wagging of percussionist Joey Gulizia, and the spicy samba riffs of Wimmer’s saxophone. Wimmer tells in a recent press release, "This record is a living testament to the music we love." It is music that matches one’s lifestyle seeking a stress-free existence while indulging in the finer aspects of living which are congruent with one’s nature.

Additional Info

  • Artist / Group Name: Bill Wimmer
  • CD Title: Project Omaha
  • Genre: Big Band / Swing
  • Year Released: 2009
  • Record Label: Wim Jazz Records
  • Tracks: Soy Califa, I Thought About You, Rhyme Rhythm And Song, She Was Too Good To Me, Geo Rose, Dreamer/Felicidade, Gypsy Blue, Cherry Red, Carnaval
  • Musicians: Bill Wimmer – saxophone, Dave Stryker – guitar, Tony Gulizia – keyboards and vocals, Mark Luebbe – bass, Joey Gulizia – percussion, Victor Lewis – drums
  • Rating: Three Stars
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