So, we’ve had the Jazz Messengers and the Jazz Crusaders, among others. Now we get the Jazz Professors, keeping the classic hard bop tradition alive with Jeff Rupert/ts-as. , Dan Miller/tp, Per Danielsson/p, Bobby Koelble/g, Marty Morell/dr-perc and Richard Drexler/b mixing originals with a couple jazz standards.
You’re going to think that you’ve discovered some long lost vintage Blue Note album, as Rupert’s rich tenor rides over Morell’s shuffle on “Dor Maar” and is rich over the fun samba of “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”. Miller’s horn is lush on the lovely “Picasso’s Blue Lobster” with the horns locking in palpable textured harmony around Koelble’s gypsy strums on “Promenade aux Champs-Elysees”, with the guitar man doing some lyrical work with Danielsson on the lovely “View of Heaven”. Lots of exciting energy and rich tones throughout. And while there’s no Francis Wolff photography, you could fool anyone on a blindfold test. The big beat.