Usually associated with Charlie Parker, and therefore bebop, Paul Desmond and the icy coolness, or with Ornette Coleman and thus free jazz, the alto sax his represented here with a warmer atmosphere on these two recent albums.
Consisting of alto saxist Christine Jensen, trumpeter Lex French, drummer Jim Doxas and bassist Adrian Vedady, The Code Quartet gives light, airy and spacious originals on this recent album. There is a sound and feel not unlike the early Ornette Coleman pieces on the lose and driving “Wind Up, while there are sharp angles that dot and dash on the title piece. French’s horn is verdant on the pretty “Watching It All Slip Away” and on soprano sax, Jensen teams with Vedady for a somber “Requiem.” The band closes most muscularly on an Afro Cuban cadence led by Doxas on “Beach Community.” Cirrus swing.
Pat Donaher brings his warm alto sax to team up with Jason Palmer/tp, Tim Watson/g, Carmen Staaf/p, Tony Scherr/b and Allison Miller/dr for nine originals post bop pieces. Watson’s guitar bops well on “Bouncing Off The Walls” while Miller keeps the feel funky for “D2” and the deeply grooved “Valiant On Valance” with Staaf tapping into his inner Red Garland. Sans rhythm section, Donaher blends the horns to a rich taffy on “624” while the whole team delivers an elegiac rubato on the gentle and elegant “Warm and Fuzzy”. Well timed textures.