Tuesday's Blues

The tone that Shner gets on her alto sax is quite different from other jazz artists; she usues almost no vibrato, probably a result of her extensive experience with classical orchestras. Her technique is flawless at any tempo, and her back-up group - Stefan Karlsson (piano), Mike League (bass) and Steve Pruitt (drums) - is great.

But the combination of the relatively complex melodies and arrangements, and the almost too precise execution by the artists, doesn't produce a swinging session. I call it chamber jazz: It's pleasant and harmonic, but requires focused attention to really appreciate it.