Tenor saxist Gary Meek brings jazz back into accessibility and swing on this hip album with an all star team of Teri Lyne Carrington/dr, Brian Bromberg/b-prod, Mitchel Forman/p and guests Randy Brecker/tp-fh, Bruce Forman-Michael Lent/g and Airto Moreira/perc. All of the tunes are originals, and sound both modern and in the tradition.
His tone on the sax is thick, rich and vibrant, asserting itself well on the driving “What Happened to My Good Shoes,” and the the bouncy and fun “When You’re A Monk” along with Brecker’s brisk horn work. The post bop “Stella on the Stairs” features some snappy work by Carrington, while the sensitive “Spirtual For Iris” includes sensitive touches by Bromberg and Forman. An elaborate “Suite For Maureen” is elegiac and elliptical, with harp-like guitar sounds supplied by Letn, and the closing “Lost Dreams” is a dainty dance between Forman’s guitar and the leader’s glowing embers on the horn. This is a real joy.