The souls of John Coltrane and Freddie Hubbard cast long shadows on this strong session by tenorist Jerry Bergonzi as he teams up with Phil Grenadier/tp, Bruce Barth/p, Dave Santoro/b and Andrea Michelutti/dr through a collection of tunes from the leader’s pen. Bergonzi’s thick horn gives Trane-esque cries and harmonics while Grenadier produces The Hubs flutters and flurries on tunes like the sleekly driving “Awake” and the elastic “Lunar Aspects.” Clever harmonies and accents dot the ballad “Tdlig” while Santoro is spotlighted between the intertwining horns on “Rise Up.” The rhythm team snaps to attention on the post bop “A Hankering” and delivers a slinky bluesy feel on “An Internal Affair.” Intelligent modern sounds and style with a knowing nod to it’s inspirations.
Savant Records