Green

A Win-Win Proposition
****

Purchasing the new CD by tenor saxist, David Sills, is a winning proposition as it provides both classy jazz by a talented saxophonist with top level sidemen, and a portion of the profits go to the Sierra Club. Such a deal - good music benefiting a worthy cause!

I last reviewed Sills playing on trumpeter Liam Sillery's OA2 Records release, On the Fly, last year and found Sills to be an important part of that release as Sillery used Sills' working quartet, and the combination had a "Blue Note" 60s quality, a Hammond B-3 vibe.

On Sill's new release, you don't find the funkiness of Sillery's release, but you do find a quality mainstream issue with mostly original compositions and a super group of sidemen. Gary Foster is a first-call LA based alto man and Putter Smith has the bass chops to play with pianist Alan Broadbent on a regular basis.

Favorite tracks here include Melon Head, in which the two saxophonists blend seamlessly. Sills has the mastery of an old school reedman, and the ability to write catch melody as evidenced by Fontok. His old school quality playing is shown in Ellington's classic Prelude to a Kiss, which also features pianist Kanan. Sills has the breathy elegance on this ballad that brings to mind Scott Hamilton.

Moon and Sand features Sills on flute and it has tropical feel. Larry Koonse adds to the mood with some exquisite guitar lines and Putter Smith shows why he is so in demand on bass. Drop some Green on this new release. You're getting top rate jazz and the donation to the Sierra Club is frosting on the cake.