Inner Mission

A hard-blowing tenor player from the Pacific Northwest, Richard Cole joins trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist Bill Anschell and various rhythm tandems on his fourth album as a leader for the Origin label. Cole and Brecker demonstrate a tight chemistry on the urgent opener "J&J," the hard-boppish "Blame It on My Reed" and a swinging "Secret Love." Cole settles into Anschell's subling ballad "Lana" with smoky Ben Webster-ish tones, and delivers a solemn "The Meaning of the Blues" in dedication to Michael Brecker. Anschell's reharmonized arrangement of the Beatles' "Come Together" has Brecker wailing on muted trumpet and Cole digging in with robust tenor sounds. Cole and trumpeter Thomas Marriott make effective frontline partners on a bristling "Try to Remember" in 6/8.