On
Almost Modern
, which is subtitled "The Swing to Bop Project," tenor saxophonist and clarinetist
Dan Block
revives music from the period of time when
swing
was gradually being replaced by
bop
. Most of the selections on this CD are from 1944-1947.
Block
's group with trumpeter
Jon-Eric Kellso
sometimes pays direct tribute to the
Coleman Hawkins
1945 Quintet which featured trumpeter
Howard McGhee
and pianist
Sir Charles Thompson
. Even the more boppish pieces such as
"I Mean You"
and
"Dizzy Atmosphere"
are played with a
sensibility.
has a tone somewhere between
Lester Young
and a style that perfectly fits these pieces while
Kellso
slightly modernizes his approach. The rhythm section swings,
Larry Ham
mixes together
Count Basie
Bud Powell
, and guitarist
Chris Flory
(replaced by
Jon Hart
on
"Ko Ko"
) takes his share of
Charlie Christian
-inspired solos. The music pays homage to the past but is creative within the older transitional style. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow