Cory Weeds Quintet
Everything’s Coming Up Weeds
www.Cellarlive.com
By George W. Harris

Some of the best Blue Note-inspired jazz is coming north of the border in Vancouver BC. This label puts out some swinging hard bop, and this release by tenor saxist Cory Weeds may be the best one yet. Everything about it hearkens to the days of the classic quintets by Horace Silver and Art Blakey, from the Reid Mile-ish cover to the strong back beat of tunes like “B’s Blue Blues” and “Ella’s Walk.” Weeds and Jim Rotondi/tp make a hotter than a piston front line, and the rhythm team of Ross Tabbart/p, John Webber/b and Willie Jones III/dr snap and crackle like Rice Crispies. Weed’s tone is high cholesterol rough and gruff like Rollins and Gordon, and fills your ears on either warm ballads (“Little Unknown One” ) or the blowers (“Bailin’ On Lou”). Rotondi is bitten by the Lee Morgan bug, as he’s got the same swagger on his solos, particularly on the lone standard “I’ve Never Been In Love Before.” Great stuff that will sit proud next to your 50s and 60s Blue Notes.