A pair of gents on the tenor sax trying to mix modern moods with classic tones.
Chase Baird assembles a supergroup with all star pianist Brad Mehldau, super drummer Antonio Sanchez, forward thinking guitarist Nir Felder and strong toned bassist Dan Chmielinski for post modern interpretations. Baird veers toward hard and almost acid rock with Felder on edgy pieces like the muscular “Ripcord” and aggressive “Wait and See,” but he always ends up on swinging on his feet.Some fuzzy and mechanical sounding bass and guitar evoke images of King Crimson on “Reactor” and “In The Wake (of urban overdrive)” yet Mehldau’s lyricism pulls the band out of the avalanche and into saver waters. Sanchez and Baird sway wonderfully on “As You Are” with the leader at his most Ben Websterian with Mehldau on the breathy “Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai.” A tug of war that ends in a draw.
Ben Flocks plays mostly tenor with a dash of soprano with guitarist Ari Chersky, bassist Martin Nevin, drummer Evan Hughes and Fran LoCrasto,who plays just about anything with keys on this album that oozes with nostalgia. Flocks has an old school tone, reminiscent of vintage Dexter Gordon in its palpability, kitschy with Chersky on the bel canto “Shangri-La” and 50s ish “Duende” or blowing smoke rings with LoCastro on the dark bluesy “Ebb Tide” or ultra romantic “Wile A Cigarette Was Burning.” All of the songs are fairly concise, as Flocks focuses on seductive drinks, seductive on soprano on the moody “Siren’s Spell” and melancholy back on tenor for “Muse’s Mask” and the late night at the Moose Lodge “Street of Dreams.” Ten cents a dance, and hold her tight!