Philadelphia Inquirer reviews MY HARD LUCK STORY
Sunday, January 22, 2005

Inquirer jazz reviewer Karl Stark writes:

"Trumpeter Chuck Gottesman made this CD for his master's degree in jazz studies at Rowan University, and the recording was picked up by the Philly-based Dreambox label for good reason. It's more than a pleasant listen.

"Gottesman manages to cover a wide swath of postmodern be-bop in an amiable way. The horn-heavy session, which mostly features a sextet and the George Rabbai-directed Rowan University Jazz Ensemble on one cut, covers eight Gottesman originals, including the ardent "Separacion," as well as a jazzy take of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs."

"Gottesman, who direct bands at Springfield High School in Montgomery County, joins with tenor saxophonist Michael Fein, who teaches music technology in the Haverford School District, and alto saxophonist Stephen Selfridge, a music teacher in the Garnet Valley School. On this set, at least, the assembled educators are more likely to rock you than dock you."

Thank you to Dreambox Media for submitting the recording for review. Special thanks to all of the non-professional reviewers out there; everyday I hear back from new people who are listening to and enjoying the CD. It has been a very exciting project.

To purchase My Hard Luck Story (and other tales of woe), visit Dreambox Media at www.dreamboxmedia.com or search for Chuck Gottesman at Amazon.com.

All my best - C