Houston raised and NYC based, Marcos Varela brings his bass to lead a team of adroit all stars on this rich collection of material. The core rhythm team of himself with George Cables/p and Billy Hart/dr are a force unto themselves, creating sparks on a trio track “Picturesque” while horn players Logan Richards/as, Clifton Anderson/tb, Dayna Stephens/ts and Arnold Lee/as fill in the blanks on the other tracks. The team does a modal take of the lyrical “I Should Care” with Richardson’s alto singing along, as well as on the soft and lovely “Lullaby For Mike.” Hart is nifty on the sticks as Varela bows his bass along with Stephens’ tenor on the roller coaster “Pepper” while he strolls with Lee’s alto on the dreamy Red On Planet Pluto.” Anderson is featured on a pair of his own pieces; he’s rich as he drives over Hart’s ride cymbal and the leader’s hip bass line on “Mitsuru” and bops well with the slick gait on “Sister Gemini.” Varela directs traffic like a master, with his own “Where The Wild Things Are” a clever mix of swing and sharp angles. Clever mix.
Origin Records