 BUY NOW AmazonUK AmazonUS |
Keith Oxman East of the Village
|
CAPRI RECORDS 74145-2 [60:41]
Bye Bye Baby
East of the Village
Deep in a Dream
Breeze (Blow My Baby Back To Me)
A Vaunt Guard
Walkin’ My Baby Back Home
The Shorter Route
Lucky To Be Me
Brothers, Michel and Jean-Marc
(I’ve Got) Beginners’ Luck
Keith Oxman (tenor saxophone); Jeff Jenkins (Hammond B3 organ); Todd Reid (drums)
Recorded April 2016, Mighty Fine Productions
A strong presence on the Denver scene Keith Oxman is also an ever-present for Capri Records; I make this his ninth disc for the label. He works with a tight band – Hammond B3 organ player Jeff Jenkins and drummer Todd Reid - and together they motor through ten tracks, only three of which (one apiece) are compositions by band members. This leaves seven strong standards.
Things start with a lesser-known Jule Styne piece, Bye Bye Baby, with Jenkins latching avidly onto the swinging melos and Oxman’s saxophone supremely articulate, blowing hard but lyrically. Doubtless the leader has dusted down Hank Mobley’s classic East of the Village a fair few times but there’s no sign of fatigue here, in a splendid trio approach. Oxman unveils deftly phrased paragraphs, changing colours and bringing dextrous shadings, whilst Jenkins’ keyboard playing brings with it insistent dissonances. Reid’s fine drum solo completes this outstanding piece of work.
There’s no let-up in Deep in a Dream, its ballad lyricism propelled by deftly light Hammond work and rich-toned tenor, with supportive drums. If I find a certain waywardness in the organ solo on Breeze, Oxman’s arrangement gives a new coat of varnish to this standard. I like the ‘tap dancing’ drum solo during Walkin’ My Baby Back Home and I decidedly liked the fresh-faced version of Leonard Bernstein’s Lucky To Be Me, where Jenkins’ comping is a real standout. The three originals showcase elements of each musician’s musical strengths. Todd Reid’s A Vaunt Guard (cheeky word play) is terse and angular, Jenkins’ The Shorter Route incarnates a more straight-ahead Blue Note bop (I assume the allusion is to Wayne) and the leader’s Brothers, Michel and Jean-Marc is a most attractive feature.
Throughout this excellently recorded disc, the standards of musicianship, arrangement and verve are high. Let’s hope Oxman will soon hit double figures in his Capri odyssey.
Jonathan Woolf
