Lee Greene is another of those excessively talented neo–boppers who seem to be concealed in almost every nook and cranny of New York City (even in the subways) — although I’d hardly agree with Alan Trainer’s effusive observation in the liner notes that his is “one of the most identifiable voices on alto and tenor saxophone to come along in the past 20 years.” The question then becomes, is what he has to say worth hearing? Oh yes. While Greene won’t change the voice of the saxophone, he’s an engaging conversationalist who’ll cause you to weigh carefully his perceptive opinions. And he has a pleasing tone to boot. The same can be said of Greene’s principal front-line colleague, the underrated and always enterprising trumpeter Eddie Henderson, who is present on seven tracks (Vitale sits in on “All or Nothing at All” and “Velas,” while Greene’s plaintive alto holds center stage alone with the rhythm section on Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark”). Greene wrote four of the tunes (“New York Calling,” “Blues Clues,” “Irie Mon,” “Present Tense”) and they are comfortably in the groove but otherwise unexceptional. Among the standout tracks: “Skylark” and “Irie Mon” (alto), “Nobody Else But Me” and “U.M.M.G.” (tenor). The rhythm section (especially Di Martino) is unduly alert and unflappably supportive, even though drummer Cox is sometimes a tad too busy for my taste. In sum, a vibrant mainstream session with a number of persuasive ingredients.

Track Listing: Hi Fly; Sweet and Lovely; All or Nothing at All; Skylark; New York Calling; Velas, Blues Clues; Nobody Else But Me; Irie Mon; U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group); Present Tense. 66:43.

Personnel: Lee Greene, alto, tenor saxophones, flute; Eddie Henderson, Richie Vitale, trumpet, flugelhorn; John Di Martino, piano; Bruce Cox, drums; Santi Debriano, Avishai Cohen, bass.