I truly thought that God stopped the dispensation of making tenor sax players like Ernie Krivda. But, just like in the Bible, God keeps sending prophets of old to remind people of what the standard of righteousness is. What a joy to listen to this album of him with Lafayette Carthon/p, Marion Hayden/b and Renell Gonsalves/dr. He’s got a tone as thick as Ben Webster’s and a vibrato as wide as Sidney Bechet, wearing his heart on his sleeve on his own tunes like the swinging “The Remarkable Mr. Black” or the lurking “Great Lakes Gumbo.” This is only a recording, so you can’t tell how full his dynamics can be, but he sounds a lot like Dexter Gordon on the bel canto “I’ll Close My Eyes” while the charms your socks off with Carthon’s stately piano on “Emerald.” The modal title track has an irresistible blues feel to it, and Krivda wrings it out like an old fashioned clothes washer, squeezing every last ounce of liquid until nothing is left. This is a tenor sax to be inspired by. Could you please come to LA and give me a few lessons?
Capri Records