Don Braden
has long been a top-notch
hard bop
tenor saxophonist. For this quartet date with pianist
Xavier Davis
, bassist
Dwayne Burno
, and drummer
Cecil Brooks III
, the arrangements by
Braden
and the choice of songs greatly uplift the program. There are many high points, including the opening
ballad
"She's on Her Way,"
tributes to
Stanley Turrentine
(
"Sweet T"
) and
Grover Washington Jr
. (
"Not Yet"
), a driving
"Invitation,"
a duet with drummer
Brooks
"Underground Groove"
), and the swinging
Cecil Brooks
original
"Montclair."
Everything works! This is one of
's finest recordings so far, a well-conceived and very successful project. ~ Scott Yanow