Hi-Fi

RadioAction is a skillful and apparently young quartet that's located solidly in the hard bop stream. Strong identity and emotional depth aren't qualties that come to mind in assessing this group, but they do play with conviction, a certain sense of the stylistic niceties, and an attentiveness to one another's nuances. The thoughfulness shows in the choice of repertoire like Berlin's "Russian Lullaby," with its almost fugal treatment, and Gil Evans' "Barracudas." There are certain signs of developing maturity in the way the group handles the ballad "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most." Altoist [Alex] Graham gets more solo room than a neophyte can expect to sustain, but he generally does a good job of tearing through the changes with a sense of line that seems to have been shaped by Jackie McLean, though his tone is hardly so distinctive. His swirling lines enliven [Whitney] Ashe's "Enlah." Ashe and [Gary] Wang are solid performers, while drummer Jorgensen stands out in the way he ignites the band and keeps finding inventive ways to accent the proceedings. It's a usually listenable CD that shows considerable promise, both collective and individual.