A mindblower from flute man Jeremy Steig – his only album ever for Blue Note – and quite possibly his best! There's a stripped-down feel here that beats even the rich soul of Steig's sets for Solid State – a brilliant pairing of Jeremy's choppy lines on flute with the soulful bass of Eddie Gomez – amazing interplay that really sets the record on edge right from the start – and gives things this raw funky feel that's even different than other Blue Note dates of the time! If you dig Steig's funky flute on other records, you'll totally love it here – and in addition to Eddie's great round, deep, soulful lines on bass – the set also features heavy drums from Don Alias, and some shadings on guitar from Sam Brown – a pair who are perfectly picked to round out the quartet. Tracks are all nice and long, and have a feel that's freewheeling, yet still funkily focused too – almost an electric vibe, although both Jeremy and Eddie's instruments aren't electrified at all – just their souls and spirits! A gem through and through – with great cuts that include "All Is One", "In The Beginning", "Waves", "Space", "Mint Tea", and "Wayfaring Stranger". (On the Dusty Groove label.) ~ Dusty groove
A brilliant showcase for the drums of William Hooker – ringing out loudly and proudly here in the company of younger players who really help support his energy! Hooker's got this sharp punch that comes through right away – that mixture of freewheeling rhythms and more expressive musical vision that's made so much of his recent work so great – given a slightly different spin here in the company of Dave Ross on guitar, Chris Di Meglio on trumpet, Adam Lane on bass, and Sanga on percussion. The passages that have interplay between Sanga and Hooker are especially great – and titles include "Character", "The Unfolding", "Thought & Intention", "Compelling Influences", "Three Hexagons", and "Connected". ~ Dusty Groove
The title's a great way to sum up the unique mood of this session from drummer Daniel Humair – a really wonderful blend of his own percussion with saxes, accordion, and bass – a mix of sounds that's definitely got plenty of French jazz touches! The sweet moments are those warm passages where the accordion and sax swell together beautifully – in sounds that are seductive, but still pretty sharp-edged – even more so on the sour elements, which really have the group pushing themselves – letting loose in a frenzy that's usually driven by Humair's drums. Yet on many passages, he also reminds us what a sensitive percussionist he can be – really well-skilled at softer sounds that open up the lower sonic ranges of the set. Titles include "7A3", "Care 4", "Ground Zero", "Unicorn In Captivity", "Oppression", "Debsh", and "Ground One". ~ Dusty Groove
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