Well, Sanjaya Malakar didn’t win as a vocalist during the 2007 season of American Idol, but you know he must have something if Simon Cowell was impressed. He sure impressed leader/alto saxist Chaz Lipp as well, as Lipp and his team of Charlie Hiestand/p-key, Trevor Pelletier/b, Chris Patin/dr and Gary Lanz/perc serve him well on clever reads of standards.
His voice as a relaxed warmth on the peppy “Take the ‘A’ Train” and sears like an ice pick with Lipp on “Fever.” A dreamy “Nature Boy” has him float along with Hiestand’s piano while the team gets loose and free on “Fly By Night.” Lipp lets the band show its chops on an earthy groover of “Good Merlin” with a torrid solo by the leader and a funky chicken backbeat by Patin with wah wahing keyboards on “ Groovy Green Eyes.” This band must burn the stage down in concert. Gotta see ‘em!