Canada-based Cellar Music keeps the swinging bop candle glowing. Here are a couple recent issues.
Tenor saxist Jacob Chung taps brings a beefy tone to his team of Tyler Henderson/p, Vincent Herring/as, Joe Farnsworth/dr and Caleb Tobocman/b on this mix of originals and standards. The horns groove with delight over Farnsworth on “Jeanine” w hiel Henderson lays down a pilaf of ivory on “Embraceable You”. Herring and Chung get down on the Killer Joe feel of “Thompson’s Pulpit” and bounce with delight on the rapturous ”Imminent Parousia”. High protein!
The two alto saxes of Dick Oatts and Martin Diaz make for a formidable front line with tenor man Frank Groenendijk as they crate velvet harmonies with Joan Fort/g, Philip Lewin/b and NitinParee/dr on this mix of originals plus one. Oatts has a sweet tone, and milks it on the gliding “After the Morning” and romantic “Fairmount Park”, getting delicate with Fort on “Maria’s Lament”. The unison saxes hammer through “Forward” and create palpable textures on “Doors”. Reed rapture!