One of jazz’s most steady hard boppers in both performance and composition, Cedar Walton, is given his big band due on this album lead by fellow pianist Ben Markely and his big band. The charts are clever without sounding sterile, and the sections bounce back and forth to drive the music like a pianists left had as on the graceful “Clockwise” (with a clever soprano sax section) and the tightly grooved “Black.” Trumpet star Terell Stafford shows his hard bopping heart as he teas into pieces like the sleek “Holy Land” and the bold “Cedar’s Blues” while the rhythm section serves with sharp corners for him to veer around on “Hindsight.” The leader sounds like he could have sat in with the Jazz Messengers on his work n the velvety “I’ll Let You Know” and riffed and grooved “Bolivia” while the horn sections add drama like lights in a 50s gangster flick. This one’s a fun one!
OA2 Records