If you want your horn to set the mood to be wooed, get a hold of this album by Jeff Oster. He’s got a glowing ember of a sound on both trumpet and flugelhorn, and sets it in atmospheres that sound like a modern version of the classic Bobby Hackett “with strings” album that probably helped cause the Baby Boom.
The musicians rotate around the central character of Tom Eaton, who plays bass, keyboards or synth on almost every track. At times Oster’s horn sounds like a string section in itelf as on “Next” with Nile Rodgers’ guitar, or “Heroes” which features Jeff Taboloff on the tenor sax. Noah Wilding brings ethereal vocals to “Gardens of Varanasi” and Oster shines like a full moon on “I Can’t Make You Love Me” along with Philip Aaberg’s romantic piano. But the fact is that the songs can’t be dissected; this album needs to be taken in as a whole, as it creates an starry night atmosphere.
Retso Records