Les is Mo'

Pianist Geoff Stradling arranged for each of the ten selections on his latest release to represent a different view of modern jazz. Besides the usual personnel changes during the session, he's instituted striking differences in the music so that we end up with impressions that honor Miles Davis, Eddie Harris, Dexter Gordon, Bill Evans, Aaron Copland and plenty more. The piano trio makes up a portion of his program, while others who contribute include Gary Foster on flute, Rick Keller on alto, soprano and tenor saxophone, Michael Spiro on added percussion, and rhythm sections that pair bassist Bruce Lett with drummer Dave Karasony and bassist Rene Camacho with drummer Ramon Banda.

Stradling prefers a contemporary sound that lets his acoustic piano keyboard animation flow quickly. His high energy couples with bass and drums to keep things moving freely. Saxophonist Keller, who adopts a metallic tone from the brighter side of melodic jazz, paints of selection after another with vibrant colors. Similarly, Stradling allows his piano to pierce with melodic twinkles that linger in your ear. Their sounds, as contemporary as that of Saturday Night Live, won't let any of their ideas fade away. Throughout most of the program, the music stays in your face, and up in arms with an inborn tension that pushes hard.