Touch and Go: The Jim Self & John Chiodini Quintet, Basset Hounds Records

The Jim Self & John Chiodini Quintet

Featuring:
Ron Stout, Ken Wild, and Kendall Kay

JIM SELF is one of the busiest jazz musicians in Los Angeles.
Besides being a prolific recording artist, the tuba master is also an in-demand studio musician. On his 21st release, TOUCH AND GO, he once again shares production credits with guitarist JOHN CHIODINI. The two masters have produced three duo jazz CDs together and one with the David Angel Jazz Ensemble.

Each of Self’s recordings have featured different kinds of bands, usually either classical or jazz. For TOUCH AND GO, The Jim Self & John Chiodini Quintet includes some of LA’s top jazz musicians. Self says, “When Chiodini and I talked about who we wanted for this quintet recording we chose RON STOUT, KEN WILD, and KENDALL KAY because of their great playing and impeccable time.” The project was highly collaborative, and all of the players contributed suggestions, arrangements, or compositions to the project. Like many of Self’s songs and album titles, he took the title TOUCH AND GO from his 30+ years as a small plane pilot. It is a term that pilots use for practicing take offs and landings where, after touching down, you immediately take off and “go around” the pattern again.

From the opening high-energy title tune, “Touch And Go,” written by Self, through standards like “Only Trust Your Heart” and “Whisper Not” to originals like Chiodini’s bluesy “Restless” to the bebop closing tune “Dig,” the swinging, hip arrangements and original writing on TOUCH AND GO deftly demonstrate that this entire band – Self, Chiodini, Stout, Wild, and Kay – are all masters of their instruments.