Back in the 70s and 80s, before jazz divided into the two groups (“smooth” and “post-bop”) which we presently have, most of the music we listened to was simply called “Contemporary Jazz” or “Adult Instrumental Music.” Bands from Weather Report to Stanley Jordan to Getz fit into this category, and life was simple. Someone named K Gorelick changed all that, and the music became either suitable for a wisdom tooth extraction or used by Jack Bauer as enhanced interrogation in order to get needed information to save America.
Tenor saxist Mike MacArthur delivers an album that is a throwback to the time when jazz could be accessible, but still muscular, swinging and heavy. Funny thing is that most of the guys on this session were part of the crew that got labeled “smooth”: Rick Braun/tp, Jeff Lorber/key, Jeff Golub/g, Brian Bromberg/b, Alex Acuna/perc (and Frank Richardson/dr) have all been on tons of that kind of material, but they show they’ve still got the chops and machismo here. Together they run through some cooking takes of standards and originals that are simply a gas. A nice funky and hip grooving take of “Filthy McNasty” as well as a bluesy bassed “Birdland” are beautiful display features for MacArthur’s warm and breathy tenor. His own “Around the Corner” shuffles of to Buffalo with a vengeance, while “Sydney Style” is supercharged like a Die Hard battery. A Headhunter-ish reading of Sonny Rollins’ “Blue Seven” is extremely tasty, while Bromberg and Lorber get highly sinister on “Jean Pierre.” The leader’s duet with the bassist on “In A Sentimental Mood” is one you’ll want to play over and over, with just about everything else here a close second. Surprisingly wonderful!!!
AMG Group Music
www.amggroupmusic.com/mike-macarthur