Jonny King
is a talented advanced hard bop player whose playing on this early release finds him performing in a group that recalls the
Bobby Hutcherson
/
Harold Land
quintet of the early '70s.
King
sometimes sounds here like
McCoy Tyner
or
Mulgrew Miller
, and he contributed six of the eight numbers -- all but the standard
"Mean to Me,"
which is taken as a tasteful piano-vibes duet, and
Herbie Hancock's
"Blow Up," with the closing calypso "Las Ramblas" being the most memorable.
Steve Nelson's
vibes (influenced by
Hutcherson
) are a key voice both in the ensembles and as a soloist.
Joshua Redman
is in excellent if conventional form on tenor while showing on the hyperactive "Caffeine" that his soprano playing is coming along. With bassist
Peter Washington
and drummer
Billy Drummond
offering solid support, this is a fine modern mainstream date. ~ Scott Yanow