Nothing fussy, just good sounds…
Bassist Henry Franklin, pianist Carl Burnett and drummer Robert Turner have jazz resumes longer than Hunter Biden’s arrest record, all three with swing and blues in their dna. This album is a perfect size 42 fit, as they take on the Ray Charles songbook like they own the copyrights. Burnett glistens on “Moonlight In Vermont” while their church roots get exposed on “Halleluja I Love Her So” and “Unchain My Heart”. They take a trip to the VFW on the country tear jerker “I Can’t Stop Loving You” while Franklin giving a glorious outing to “Georgia On My Mind”. It’s not easy to make it sound this easy!
Tenor saxist Richard Braithwaite gets to the bop basics with his team of Sharif Kales/tp, Dennis Nelson/p, Lino Gomez/b and Christopher Gomez/dr on a salute to Thelonious Monk and beyond. He’s right on target with no frills with Nelson in full stride on Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser”, but most of the other song have The Sphere’s fingerprints as well. For instance the aptly title “Roused About” has the leader giving tribute to Monk’s famous tenor player, while Braithwaite is a hoot joking around on the strutting “Thelonius, Not Felonius” with dashes of fun on “Precious Mercy” and a hip beat on “Il Repetivo”. The big beat.