Very few horn players attempt it, and even fewer succeed. Many are called, few are chosen, as our Lord once said. Saxist Phil Davison takes the Pepsi Challenge and delivers 14 compositions and one traditional piece with just his soprano, alto, tenor and baritone reeds and the air in the studio. The impressive results deserve double kudos.
His first smart call was in making most of the pieces under 5 minutes, so he doesn’t wear out his welcome on any piece. Secondly, mixing up the horns, such as having “Buddy Bolden Said” on soprano being preceded by a baritone on “Feel Like A King” and followed by an alto on “What Does It Mean” creates a pleasant mixture of moods and textures. Even better and encouraging is that he avoids the pitfall of not going into out space during the improvisations; he makes the solos interesting but not frustratingly self absorbed, and his sense of rhythm without any accompaniment is excellent, as I checked him on my metronome! This disc can serve well for intense concentration for each tune, or even as mood setting that will inspire but not intrude due to its lyrical quality. Give this guy a chance!