CD Reviews: Chris Baker “Everything Is A Blues” CD-2006 Greatbend Records
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Posted by: adminon Sunday, January 07, 2007 - 09:00 PM |
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By Glenn Astarita
New York-based saxophonist Chris Baker’s debut solo effort boasts a hip outlook. With his sextet, Baker integrates the blues within mainstream and modern jazz scenarios as the roads frequently traveled are slightly retrofitted and personalized. Baker displays maturity and poise via his fluent sax attack, dappled with various tremolo techniques and shrewdly articulated flurries.
On the piece titled “Julia Mae,” Baker and pianist Toru Dodo morph a bluesy vibe and dig from within as a means of vast expressionism. And with various swing vamps, the band enjoys ample soloing opportunities led by Baker’s gutsy sound, abetted by drawling notes and fluent choruses. Moreover, they explore bop and up-tempo progressive jazz stylizations. However, the saxophonist’s divergent mode of execution equates to a divergent track mix. Such is the case with the comp titled “Jig ‘N Craw,” where the leader explores cavernous sounds via his mood-eliciting bari sax lines coupled with Dodo’ trance-like Fender Rhodes phrasings. Nonetheless, Baker gets out of the gate with an impressively engineered outing that warrants repeated listens. – Glenn Astarita
Chris Baker: alto & soprano saxophones; Skot Veroczi: guitar; Luther Gray: drums; Toru Dodo: piano; Charles Evans: baritone saxophone; Michael Hawkins: bass
www.greatbendrecords.com
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