Tenor saxist Bob Mintzer teams up with drum legend Peter Erskine for a fun and hard hitting big band mix and match with some of LA’s finest. Wayne Bergeron/tp, Bob McChesney/tb, Bob Sheppard/ts, Russ Ferrante/p and Larry Koonse/g are just a few of the guys who get a chance in the sun here. The rhythm explodes with joy as on the breezy salsa of “El Caborojeno” and “Latin Dance.”
Mintzer sounds wonderful throughout, but he doesn’t hog the microphone; McChesney gets some space on the soulful “Original People” and Bergeron glistens on the pleasant “New Rochelle.” The rhythm section shows its Basie influence with a bouncy “Havin’ Some Fun” spotlighting rich reeds and Edwin Livingston keeping a steady 4 to the bar with the sax section on the funky “Home Basie” and “Tribute.” The best part about this album is that it just feels fun-isn’t that why you like jazz anyway?
Fuzzy Music