The all star team of Jim Rotundi/tp, Eric Alexander/ts, Steve Davis/tb, David Hazeltine/p, John Webber/b and Joe Farnsworth/dr reunite for a vintage hard bop session, in tribute to the feel of music created by guest tenor saxist George Coleman, who sits in for a few tunes.
Of those, Coleman at 89 roars like the lion in winter, swinging hard as he cries out on “Oscar Winner”, uses space and sound like a master of tim eon Hand Mobley’s “This I Dig Of You” and gives an aria akin to Pavarotti on the glorious “My Foolish Heart”.
The core sextet is itself in feisty form, with Farnsworth flexing his muscles around Hazeltine on the massacre of “Chainsaw”, while Farnsworth lays out a relentless bossa beat on “ In The Lead” and uses his brushes like an umpire dusting off home plate on the elegant “The Nearness of You”. Davis butters his brass for a brilliant and flowing “Cove Island Breeze” and Rotundi is sweet and funky for “Leemo”.
Testosteroned and timeless tunes.