Horns a plenty
This album by trumpeter Jared Hall is a fun one in that you get to guess by the tone and styles (not to mention the titles) of each song which fellow horn man he’s giving tribute to. Along with Tal Cohen/p, Michael Glynn/b and John Bishop/p, he composes pieces with a tip of the cap to artists like Brian Lynch (“Professor B.L.) and Wallace Roney (“One For Wallace”) with ideas of blue and lyricism respectively. The clever stop start of “Song For Shaw” has a modern feel, as well as the nimble and tricky “Harrell”. The lone cover, “Minority”, is a Gigi Gryce bopper that features Cohen in fervent form, the whole team sizzles on “Dream Steps”. Inspired influences.
Warm toned trumpeter Anthony Stanco delivers main stream hard bop on this album with Randy Napoleon/g, Xavier Davis/p, Rodney Whitaker/b Joe Farnsworth/dr and guest Walter Blanding/ts. In the quintet settings, the leader swings easy on “Showtime” and glows with Davis on “ If You Could See Me Now”. On a pair of duets, Stanco does a rapid run over Farnsworth’s brushes on “ Dig” and is cozy with Napoleon on “Ask Me Now”. Blandings adds a beefy tenor to Stanco’s muted horn on a hip “Do Nothing till You Hear From Me” and grooves along side to the shuffling “Worth the Time”, bebopping the blues on “Now’s the Time”. Clean brass.