Since the mid 1970s Scott Hamilton has brought back the warm of the tenor sax during an era of screeching reeds and electronic. These latest two releases are Exhibits A and B on how tone always wins the conversation.
Hamilton is joined by the Danish team of Jan Lundgren/p, Hans Backenroth/b and Kristian Leth/ddr for a mix of standards and rich original, focusing on lyricism and melody. He rolls in like a San Francisco fog on “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face” and coos reassuringly during “On a Clear Day” and “Hey There”. He’s got a rich sublime swing on “Tune Up” and gets a nice pulse out of “Big Tate” with Lundgren giving melodic framework on “Beyond The Bluebird”. Rembrandt still life.
Scott Hamilton also guests in on most of the tunes from the Triology team of Miles Black/p, BilLCoon/g and Jodi Proznick/b. The three bounce and bop on a snazzy read of “Moose The Mooche” on their only threesome. With the tenor titan, Black gives a rich and cozy stride to “Pompton Turnpike” with Coon sublimely swinging for the dashing tenor on “Slow Road”. Hamilton blows smoke rings on “Thanks For The Memories” like a Romeo et Juliet, and recliningly sighs for a gentle “Luiza”. Mellow madness-can you just sit and hit the “replay” button for every sax student at Berklee?