Alan Rosenthal, Just Sayin'

I wasn't very intimate with the music of pianist-composer Alan Rosenthal before his new CD Just Sayin' (self-released) crossed my desk. Now I most certainly am!

He meshes together with the great bass and drums of Cameron Brown and Steve Johns, respectively, and lets loose.

He has affinities, certainly, with middle-period Paul Bley and early-mid Keith Jarrett. And a touch of Bill Evans. But he goes his own way with that to create a very inventive set of performances. It's new-bop, free-bop, bop-be going on in the best sense.

The compositions pop, the band swings brilliantly and Alan creates some very choice pianism. It's all there: touch, striking voicings, lines of originality and some very groovy Cameron and Steve.

Eight Rosenthal originals plus the old "Red, Red Robin" as a change up make for a very listenable set.

It's an extraordinarily nice trio outing that will make you happy if you seek something in the modern vein that is NOT shopworn.

The Mark Lomax Trio Steps Forward with Some Good Outbop

I am not entirely familiar with the names represented on today's CD.That is not surprising. We have many names out there, people playing music that is worth considering. The names of Mark Lomax, drummer, and his associates Edwin Bayard (tenor) and Dean Hulett (acoustic bass) may not be on the tip of the tongues of jazz-improv lovers everywhere, but they go some distance on The State of Black America (Inarhyme 1005) in making that a possibility. It's a full set of outbop-nubop-nobop, swinging rooted music that shows off their abilities in a good light.

Though Mr. Bayard plays the tenor, I hear a certain affinity with the late Jackie McLean in his solos. There's an edgy sharpness and a full-out presence that he shares with the Mac. That doesn't mean he is some sort of McLean protege. It just means that I am favorably reminded of things I liked in Jackie's playing.

The trio is on the mark throughout. I am happy to have the chance to hear them on this disk. And I would certainly look forward to hearing more from them. It's a goodie, this one.