Album Reviews

True to the label’s intentions and name, Zane Musa is a muscular-toned, “straight ahead” alto sax bopper, accompanied on this superb sounding disc by like-minded Southern California jazz musicians on a set of well worn but always comfortable jazz standards.

Included are “Giant Steps” “Blue Monk,” “Song For My Father,” “The Jive Samba,” and “Well You Needn’t,” none of which require introduction or writer’s credit. If you don’t know them, you can’t go wrong with finding out on this disc before seeking out the originals.

Even the “standard standards” like “Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise,” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” have long ago been appropriated by jazz and have become jazz standards.

Musa wears his influences proudly, blending Cannonball’s velvet with Coltrane’s vinegar to come up with an enticing sound that should please the hardcore and newcomers, but it would be difficult to claim that his originality breaks any uncharted new musical ground. The music is straight ahead, enjoyable retro-jazz

The quartet takes tunes like “Blue Monk” and “Well You Needn’t” at breakneck speed, allowing Musa to showcase his speed, control and clean tonality. Two drummers share the time keeping, with Tony Austin the busier of the two (in a good way), and Lorca Hart the slinkier.

Pianist Danny Grissett, who, along with Lorca Hart plays in a trio with John Heard, another Straight Ahead recording artist, almost steals the show with sympathetic comping and solos that burst with creativity.

Everyone shines on this pleasing disc, including the recording engineer, Scott Sedillo, who goes “old school” by placing drums on one side and sax on the other. He modernizes the old by sensibly locating Grissett mid-stage, creating a pleasing picture. The recording, done “live at Bernie’s” means it was recorded in the common area just outside Bernie Grundman’s mastering room. The space works better than it has any right to. Tonality is rich, dynamics persuasive and the whole picture has a relaxing “rightness” about it that make any system come alive.

Great sound, good music, a sumptuous gatefold color jacket and 200g Quiex SV-P vinyl make this an attractive package that’s easy to recommend. Next time we need to hear some originals from Musa. One minor bone to pick: someone spelled “Adderley” “Adderly” on the back of the jacket. That Kind of Blue typo seems to have achieved immortality. Enough already!