I saw this guy a couple years ago in Christian McBride’s Inside Straight band, and thought he stole the show with his deft treatment of the vibes. Here, on his second disc as a leader, he brings back a hip collection of artists which includes his boss or Kris Funn on bass, Kenny Green-Aaron Goldberg-Aaron Diehl/p and Billy Williams-Lewis Nash/dr. Things seem to start out just as you’d expect, with a fertile and sublime “Sunrise” and hip little take of “Frankie and Johnny.” Nothing sets you up for the mind expanding torrent of rhythm, ideas and execution of the thunderous and wonderfully overwhelming “Grand Central” that mixes the power of a buffalo stamped with the precision of Prime Time Lakers. Wolf rides the 25 ft crest like Kelly Slater and takes it down just as smoothly. Other pieces such as “Things Were Done Yesterday” spotlight his grace and lyricism, and the closing “Le Carnaval de Venise” has him creating a Caribbean environment with a festive marimba, but everything else is essentially a recovery from the 5G ride of the third tune. Check it OUT!!!!!
Mack Avenue Jazz