Kenny Shanker has a rich and full sound on his alto sax as he brings some vintage hard bop to the table with some originals. Teamed with Mike Eckroth/p, Daisuke Abe/g, Yoshi Waki/b and Brian Fishler/dr, he drives with an upbeat “Kottinger Park” gets bluesy with Eckroth’s striding ivories on “Saturday, 2 am” and bops with hip delight to Waki’s pulsating bass on “Satin Ribbons.” His soprano sax glides with an easy cadence on “Cascading Lights” and snaps to Fishler’s high hat on the crisp “Lyra.” His tone is warm and lyrical, able to milk a passage during “”Spring Flowers” and the moody “Cake Batter.” Impressive foray!