Fortuna / Goldsbury / Minchello / Grassi, the Last of the Beboppers

I get to hear albums these days that in the days when I had money to spend I would probably never have considered. A nice example is The Last of the Beboppers (FM 018) by Maciej Fortuna (trumpet), Mack Goldsbury (tenor sax), Mark Minchello (organ) and Lou Grassi (drums). The album features an original or two by each plus an arrangement of Bach's "Minuet in G."

It's straight-ahead all the way on this one. The compositions serve up a hard-bop stew and the players all gather their own expressive means to realize music in the tradition but originally so. Goldsbury has fire and brimstone in his tenor, Fortuna plays a hard but lyrical trumpet, Minchello gives us the Hammond sound updated and Lou Grassi drums with conviction. I've never heard Lou in this context but he sounds very comfortable and inventive, as do the others.

Do we need more straight-ahead jazz? Not just for its own sake. But when it comes across sincerely and clearly and there is something original in all they do, it is welcome. I am glad to have it and hear it.