Bassist
Martin Wind
's third
Challenge
CD is a quartet date with pianist
Bill Cunliffe
,
Scott Robinson
(a musician who likely can play and probably owns every known instrument in the reed and brass families, including many obscure items), and drummer
Greg Hutchinson
. Seven of the ten songs are
Wind
's compositions. The bittersweet
"The Dream"
conveys a sense of longing, with terrific solos all around and soft brush work by
Hutchinson
.
Robinson
's vocal-like bass clarinet and
's arco bass engage in a playful dissonant exchange before
"Remember October 13th"
(in honor of the late bassist
Ray Brown
's birthday) begins to take shape, becoming a quirky, walking trio blues with
rounding out the trio. One can almost envision the second line moving along the parade route to follow a Crescent City band in
"Early Morning Blues,"
with
Cunliffe
's down-home piano and
overdubbing tenor sax and echo cornet (the latter alternately with and without a mute).
also explores three gems by jazz masters. He doesn't stray far from the roots of
Bill Evans
' lovely
"Turn Out the Stars,"
playing it in an easygoing setting with
's expressive tenor out front.
reshapes
Thelonious Monk
's
"Bright Mississippi"
into a lively calypso, while his solemn, reverent interpretation of
Duke Ellington
"Come Sunday"
also showcases
on tenor sax. ~ Ken Dryden