Inspired by the 1950s West Cost sound of Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan, the quartet of Dred Scott/p, Eric Crystal/ts, John Wiltala/b and Smith Dobson/dr take tunes from that era and give them a modern dose, as if they were polishing up a ’57 Chevy and putting in a more modern engine to boot.
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Crystal has a robust tone, in the school of Sonny Rollins, and he goes bel cant with Scott on an intimate read of Rogers’ “Casa De Ruz” and gives swagger to Mulligan’s “Utter Chaos”. Dobson’s brushes deftly swing as on a rapid read of “ Bernie’s Tune” and swings with ease on the deft “Nights at the Turntables” while laying out a hip pattern with Scott in which Crystal digs in deep for “Maid In Mexico” Scott has a nifty left hand, bopping with Wiltala on Mulligan’s adroit “Festive Minor” with the overall mood one of celebration rather than imitation. A nice cruise with the top down on PCH>