Don't Blink

4-Stars This band is made up of six musician/composers from different corners of the United States who have come together to play music in the style they love for this their second CD. They play in the highly durable hard bop style that came to full fruition in the 1960s. The opening track Don't Blink immediately demonstrates their cohesive unity, the ensembles clear and crisp and very much together. Pianist Kocour plays a free-flowing solo and drummer Moio gets a short workout. The next selection is a medium-tempo swinger with punchy tenor sax and a brassy, blues-based trumpet solo. Here, as before, the rhythm section flows along purposefully with no sign of strain whatsoever. Campbell's acidic alto makes a nice contrast with the tenor in solo and the pianist once again provides a hard-driving solo segment.

Low Talk is a moody ballad tempo piece, very much in the minor mood and offering emotive solos from the saxes and a tightly muted trumpet contribution. Very atmospheric in the hard bop tradition. Hamar, on bass, takes a solo before the horns return to take it out mournfully. Purple Lilac is a slow and rather sombre ballad with some lyrical flugelhorn and melancholy saxes. Bassist Hamar introduces Sense Of Semantics with a short bass solo and he is there again in the middle and at the end to round it off. Hamar's Folk Tune is a gentle trip through folksy territory with everybody on good form.

There are few major soloists today with the musical charisma of the giants of the 50s and 60s but the music has survived and grown with groups such as Unhinged so perhaps the next batch of major soloists will emerge from bands like this. I hope so.