1. Urban Dilemma
2. 22 Doors
3. 12-Step Blues
4. Parallel Present
5. Genealogy
6. Stuck
7. The Phantom (for Joe Henderson)
8. Two-Tone Tune
9. Blue Innuendo (for Joey D)
10.Redeye
Dave Anderson (tenor & soprano saxes): Tom Guarna (guitar): Pat
Bianchi (organ): Matt Wilson (drums)
[57:47]
The Dave Anderson quartet unveils a ten-track, hour-long set with this
release. The leader sports tenor and soprano saxes, and writes all but one
of the tunes, and is supported by the organ, guitar and drums of Pat
Bianchi, Tom Guarna and Matt Wilson. The ethos of bop-cum-swing angularity
can be heard in Urban Dilemma where fleet organ, neatly nuanced
guitar, and urgent drums speed the leader's soprano on its way. 22
Doors is a funky groove though its attractions begin to pall through
lack of internal variety, which is something that can't be levelled at
12-Step Blues which, despite its title, mines a friskier, up-tempo
groove ahead of the soulful blandishments of Parallel Present with
its Latino hues and finely calibrated exchanges.
We reach the security of a ballad by the sixth track, Stuck, an
unpromising title for a soprano venture though rather more characterful is
the tribute to Joe Henderson called The Phantom where Bianchi is
especially prominent and plays with distinction. Drums set the pace on
Two-Tone Tune with strong guitar chording and some fluent tenor
though by now I was strongly missing what I often miss in contemporary
albums, especially quartet albums - namely, standards.
The dedication of the title track to 'Joey D' - that's to say Joey
DeFrancesco - is appropriate as this is a jaunty swinger, more straight
ahead than the majority of the companion tracks, with a laid back tenor
solo. I have to admit I strongly prefer Anderson on the tenor.
This is a good souvenir of Anderson's working band. It could do with more
compositional light and shade but as noted this isn't a stricture I'd level
at Anderson alone.
Jonathan Woolf
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CD Reviews
LABEL L1-2003-2
