TENOR MADNESS…Ray Blue: Work, Eric Wyatt: The Golden Rule-For Sonny

As I always say, “if were so easy, why doesn’t everyone do it?” Well, these two guys do it.

Tenor saxist Ray Blue mixes his sorghum thick tone with a Pavarotti sense of lyricism on this irresistible album with a core of Sharp Radway/p, Jeff Barone/g, Essiet Okon Essiet/b Steve Johns/dr and a VW Busload of guests. His horn floats over the percolating pulse of “Work” and waxes lyrical with Essiet on the autumn wind of “My Friend and I Took A Walk.” He can swing easy on “I Don’t Know Why” or shuffle like it’s juke joint Thursday for “Our Day Will Come.” An aria of “That’s All” with pianist Benito Gonzalez is a show stopper and he shows  his muscles flex on a modal read of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” As with all things in a tenor sax world, duets are best, and a duet read of “That’s All” with pianist Kirk Lightsey is a moonlight sonata. Check this guy out, and don’t return the book!

Inspired by the legendary Sonny Rollins, Eric Wyatt brings a beefy sirloin steak of a tribute via tunes composed by or associated with Newk. Wyatt’s own sound is not a spitting image of Rollins-there’s a bit more Hank Mobley roundness, but who’s keeping score? It works here, and it works well, with Wyatt’s big sound bopping out the title track “Grand Street”  and “Azalea” with a team of Russell Malone/g, Anthony Wonsey-Benito Gonzalez-Sullivan Fortner/p, Tyler Mitchell-Eric Wheeler/b, Willie Jones-Chris Beck-Charles Goold/dr, JD Allen/ts, Clifton Anderson/tb (Rollins’ nephew) and Giveton Gelin/tp. Wyatt cries out on the modal-mooded “What The World Needs Now” and is festive with Malone on the calypso’d “Don’t Stop The Carnival.” His solo intro to “Best Wishes” is a La Brea Tar Pit of wonder, while he’s freewheeling on a wild and fierce “The Bridge.” A saxophone colossus!

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