The Scrapper by John Sneider

John Sneider is one of New York’s best known secrets. A veteran on both the recording and club scene, John is a musician’s musician, a consummate sideman, trumpeter, composer, and the kind of cat that those with the inside information praise highly. He’s an intelligent, melodic, hip and extremely accessible player.

“Scrapper”—as he’s known to his friends—is also one of New York’s best kept secrets. Look behind the curtain on some of your favorite sides, and you may very well find that he’s on it. More often found in the studio, composing music for television, or recording on sessions with the likes of Madeleine Peyroux, Curtis Stigers, Larry Goldings, and Andy Bey, he’s not the known quantity that he could be.

With The Scrapper, the first album released under his own name in 20 years, Sneider begins to remedy this. Here we find him among friends, doing what he loves: swinging. And that’s exactly how he comes out of the gate, with one of three originals, “The Scrapper,” on which he proudly reveals his fondness for Horace Silver and Blue Mitchell. Those familiar with Silver’s “Señor Blues” will likely recognize the connection immediately.

A lot can change in 20 years, but some things remain constant. For Sneider, that includes the rhythm section of Larry Goldings on organ, Andy Watson on drums and John Hart on guitar, all of whom appeared on his first record. Clearly this band is home base for Sneider, and it shows in the relaxed, mature and personal way in which they connect. For this date, they’re joined by saxophonist Joel Frahm who brings a reckless abandon to the band that is greatly appreciated.

The relationship with Larry Goldings is of special note. “I couldn’t make this record without him,” says Sneider. “We have a deep connection musically: he listens and accompanies in a way that is always swinging and conversational.” Goldings also contributes two compositions to the project: “Critterbug,” a sweet and deceptively hip tipper that plays like a masterclass in hidden harmonic movement, and “When Light Breaks,” an elegant, midnight walking-ballad that showcases Goldings’ filmic writing style.

As they say, there is information inside a great composition; there’s meaning in the melodies. That is certainly the case when it comes to Sneider’s two other originals, “Mindfield” and “Unpresidented”. He recently wrote them as an “ode to the current political and social climate in our country.” As Sneider puts it, “We can't figure out what our so-called leader is going to say next and just when you think the waters are calm he tweets out some more bullshit!”

The group’s version of the Miles Davis classic “Solar” lights a loose fire for veteran singer Andy Bey to cook over. Andy is a musical hero to a generation of players including Sneider who calls him “my favorite musician”. After a handful of choruses of Bey’s philosophical and professorial scatting, in which he quotes easily from bebop scripture (“Au Privave”, “Four”,) it’s easy to see why.

The repertoire also includes two rare Duke Ellington classics, the bouncy desert rumba “Pyramid” (by Ellington and Juan Tizol) and “On A Turquoise Cloud”, arranged by the talented young pianist / composer Max Berlin, a recent graduate of the Eastman School of Music. Berlin reduced the original Ellington chart for the small ensemble, leaving room for Goldings and Hart to pass around the soprano lines originally sung by Kay Davis on the Ellington recording.

But, despite his young age, Berlin is not the youngest contributor to the project. The album closes with “Dinosaur Eggs,” an original composition by Scrapper’s 20 year old son, trumpeter David Sneider. David, who also plays on the tune, takes the first solo and displays a maturity beyond his years. John called this “the thrill of the record,” and one can only imagine the pride he must feel playing his son’s song and passing the torch.

Listening to The Scrapper with my own father, Ben, we were both moved by just how relaxed, comfortable and optimistic this music sounds. It’s an unusual treat to hear a personal statement that feels good, pays tribute to the past, pays it forward to the next generation, has a political point of view, and places the listener in the capable hands of old friends.

As my father said it, “I would like to walk into a club and hear this band.”

Leo Sidran, August 2019

John Sneider is one of New York’s best known secrets. A veteran on both the recording and club scene, John is a musician’s musician, a consummate sideman, trumpeter, composer, and the kind of cat that those with the inside information praise highly. He’s an intelligent, melodic, hip and extremely accessible player.