Tenor saxist Michael Pedicin has got John Coltrane on his mind and in his dna on this exciting set with Johnnie Valentino/g, Andy LaLasis/b, Rick Germanson/p and Vic Stevens/dr. Pedicin’s energetic and yearning sound is confident with the assertive band on the driving pieces like the title track and “Trane Stop.” Some thunderous modal work is driven by the hard hitting Stevens on Coltrane’s own “Tunji” and Pedicin’s “27 Up” with Germanson’s bluesy piano keep up neck and neck at the finish line. Pedicin’s luminous tenor, as with all tenors, is best spotlighted on the more reflected pieces, and the atmosphere provided by Valentino and Germanson on “Nowtown” serves as a perfect bedding for the tenor to lay on. Coltrane’s “Song of the Underground Railroad” is taken at a more funky beat, with some Rhodes piano adding some grit, while the album closes with Pedicin at his most vulnerable with a solo reading of “Ubuntu.” Fans of modal music or vintage Impulse! sessions will want this babe!
Ground Blue Records