Against All Odds

Warm and bold sounding tenor saxist Jared Sims leads a post bop team of Steve Fell/g, Keala Kaumeheiwa/b and Luther Gray/dr through seven modern toned originals. His rich sound flows easily over Fell's guitar on the graceful title tune, with the two getting bluesy during 'No Name Days". Fell wafts through the lyrical "Angst" and is lyrical for the fun ripples of "Waiting". A poem dedicated to the goddess "Gaia" gives a pantheistic milieu to "Dear Gaia", while things get a bit more lamenting on the aptly titled "Threnody". None of the song titles are exactly optimistic, yet the rich sounds need no introduction.