Andrew Durkin: Breath of Fire

Pianist Andrew Durkin flexes creative muscles with his team of David Valdez/as, Tim Willcox/ts, Ryan Meagher/t, Andrew Jones/b and Todd Bishop/dr for a mix of originals. The Oregonian is adept at setting moods, as his keyboards create a CTI-like soulful hip feel on “B rega” while his piano is peppy along with the rich reds on “Breath Of Fire” and eastern Mediterranean groove on the funky “Flower Gun Breath.” Willcox’s tenor is warm along with the leader’s piano on “Vena Cava” and the moods change along with direction s on a cleverly directed “My One and Only Vice.” The music is not just for head knowledge, as dance steps are delivered by Durkin and Bishop on the upbeat “The Spiral Staircase.” Good sounds from the Pacific Northwest.

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