Heat Wave

4-STARS A fusion of jazz with music from Zimbabwe has been announced, from the Shona language of the country the title, translated as the "spirit of the lion", comes. This claim is only partially fulfilled with a few vocal interludes, but what can be heard in terms of jazz is impressive. The saxophonist and bass clarinetist Shner, at home in jazz as well as classical music, plays intensely and with a warm tone in large swings over a dense rhythm carpet, driven and enriched by high-quality solos from the excellent pianist and keyboardist Torrey Newhart. The bass contributions from Garrett Baxter are also outstanding. This album was created in several jam sessions, while at the same time the children of the participants went to school together virtually in an adjoining room.