Outside of a major worldwide spiritual renewal such as the one prophesied by Isaiah(In his book in the Bible at Chapter 19 and verse 23), I don’t know whether drummer Winard Harper’s vision of a peaceful worldwide coexistence can exist, but I do know that he himself makes some harmonious sounds with his band on this exciting post bop collection of freshly written and older material.
His core team of Bruce Harris/tp-fh, Jovan Alexandre/ts, Michael Dease/tb, Roy Assaf/p and Stehpen Porter/b, are as sharp as a tack on toe tapper’s like the driving “Something Special” and “Get Tough,” while their take of “Amazing Grace” not only points the way for true spiritual unity, but includes some vibrant soloing by the front line as well. Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” includes guest Frank Wess on flute that adds a lovingly ethereal tone, while the Basie alumnus lends his earthy tenor to “Dedicated to You.” As for Harper himself, he’s what a real NFL referee is like: you never notice the good ones. He’s subtle in his leadership, but gets the band going to the destination on time, as on the cooking title track and percolating “A Bientot.” Hard boppers with large ears will love this one!
Jazz Legacy Productions