Steve Davis
, an excellent
hard bop
trombonist who is a successor style-wise of
J.J. Johnson
and
Curtis Fuller
, is in top form during his second
Criss Cross
CD as a leader. Once again
Davis
is teamed up with tenor saxophonist
Eric Alexander
, this time in a sextet with trumpeter
Jim Rotondi
, pianist
David Hazeltine
, bassist
Nat Reeves
, and drummer
Joe Farnsworth
.
contributed five of the nine songs (including
"Payne's Window"
for baritonist
Cecil Payne
),
Alexander
brought in the up-tempo romp
"Trippin',"
and the sextet also performs three
standards
(including
"Detour Ahead"
"Summertime"
).
, who deserves much greater recognition, shows that he is one of the top straight-ahead trombonists of the 1990s and blends in well with
Rotondi
. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow