Tenor saxist Nicole Glover brings a vintage Blue Note hard bop sound and attitude to this winning ways of an album with kindred spirits Daniel Duke/b, Nic Cacioppo/dr and all star George Cables/p. Glover’s got a wide wale cord of a tone, inspired by late period John Coltrane, particularly on trio tracks like the hard charging and fiery “Strange Lands” introduced by the thunderous Cacioppo. Likewise, “The Switch” is a torrid elliptical pieces with Cacioppo tapping into his inner Elvin Jones, while the delicate “Dindi” features soft brushes and lovely mists, while a bluesy “The Twilight Zone” has the leader in a more robust Rollins format. With Cables at the piano, the team builds up on Duke’s strums on the intense “Hive Queen” and goes mainstream on a bopping “I Concentrate On You”. Best of all is a glorious duet between Cables and Glover as they dance in the dark on a reflective “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing”. I have never seen Glover in concert; this album makes me want to.
Savant Records