Today’s sound on the sax…
Playing alto sax, Shawn Maxwell stretches out with electric bassist Michael Barton, drummer Greg Essig and Collin Clauson who creates colors switching between B3, Rhodes and Wurlitzer. There’s a Silent Way Miles Davis feel on pieces like “Appointment With .. .” and the mellow pulsed “ Answer & Arrival” as the keyboards give a soulful spacy feel around Maxwell’s rich tone. There’s a darker feel to “Near Surrender” with Barton getting a lot of focus, and murky moods float on “Internal Rift”. Late 60s fusion atmospheres.
Ja son Kush plays a thick and rich tenor sax not unlike Sonny Rollins, and teams up with Alton Merrell/p, Jeff Grubbs/b and David Glover/dr for a collection of originals. He shows he has bopping swing in his blood on the 
bookends of “Hasty J” and “Razor Burn” and he’s elegant with Merrell on “Easy Going”. Grubbs leads the way on the darker “Soledad del Otono” and “Sleeping Through The Cracks” and teams up with Glover for a rich cadence on “ With Thoughts of Agnes”. Kush shows lyricism on “ Finally Friday” and assertiveness on “Asked and Answered”. Muscular musings.
Adam Lawson trios up with drummer Obed Calvaire and bassist Matt Clohesy for seen originals. Larson comes from the Coltrane school of thought, getting dark and thick on “Aerial Landmasses” and rocking a bit on “Cellular Snacks” His attack is t hick and palpable on ‘Moment of Clarity” while reflective around Clohesy on “64 Squares”. Calvaire adds shuffling brushes to the fun “Perspective” and snaps well on the thoughtful “Soar”. A reliever who mixes up his pitches.
Possessing a dark toned tenor, Alex Weitz teams up with a core of Tal Cohen/p Ben Tiberio/b, Michael Piolet/dr and a mix of guests for a collection of post bop tones reminiscent of ESP-era Miles Davis. There’s a complexity to pieces like “ The Hive” or the dark rumble of “Odyssey” that makes for attuned listening. Weitz growls through the kinetic “Rude Awakening” while going gentle with guitarist Yotam Silberstein on “Nocturne In C S harp Minor” while bopping easy with trumpeter Marcus Printup on “Convent Court”. Most lovely is the drifting “Sonata For Fred” with pianist Emmet Cohen, allowing the notes to deservedly float and hover. Team efforts.