****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Mark Lewis Quartet: Naked Animals

Recorded 30 years ago on a “live” half track gig, Mark Lewis’ then team of Willem Kuhne/p, James Long/b and Frans van Grinsven/dr remind us of what a real gig sounded like, with a fresh set of originals in a post bop style. His alto sax is Paul Desmond cool, deliciously bluesy on “Ghost of a Chance” and clean and clear as a morning sunrise through a window on the 5/4 “Mercurian Rendezvous”. The rhythm team tap out a rich pulse on the Maiden Voyage-ish “Moonflower’ and dig in under Lewis’ flute during the title track, with Long and van Drinsven creating a glorious rivulet. Long delivers a warm and spacious line on “City Slicker” and the team cooks like a master chef on “4-D” before Lewis floats away like a cirrus cloud on “The Seven Angels”. Was it really this easy?

www.marklewismusic.com

 

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