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Tim Mayer: Keeper of the Flame
ByThe ballad "Blame It on My Youth" is a duet (Mayer, bassist Rodney Whitaker), "Blackbird" a trio (with drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. added), while the other tunes showcase the octet. Mayer wrote the well-grooved "Blues by Four" and rough-hewn "Get Organized" to complement engaging themes by Coltrane ("Naima"), Jimmy Heath ("Big P"), Cedar Walton ("Hand in Glove"), McCoy Tyner ("Passion Dance") and the ensemble's trombonist, Michael Dease ("Elusive"). "Big P," "Hand in Glove" and "Passion Dance" are old-school burners encompassing fiery solos by Mayer, Whitaker, Dease, Owens, pianist Miki Hayama and alto saxophonist Adam Rongo. Whitaker is a tower of strength in the rhythm section, while Owens and Hayama (replaced on "Elusive" by Emmet Cohen) easily toe the mark.
"Big P" leads things off in free-flowing style, followed by "Blackbird," "Hand in Glove," "Blame It on My Youth," "Blues by Four" and "Naima," the last taken at a brisk pace that suits it well. Although the diaphanous "Elusive" is entered next on the album's playlist, it actually follows "Get Organized" and precedes the ardent finale, "Passion Dance," wherein Mayer fashions the last of his valorous tenor solos, and Rongo follows suit with his lone sortie on alto sax to embroider the last of Rivera's impressive charts. In sum, Keeper of the Flame is a well-shaped album whose less-than-seductive moments are brief and unimportant.
Track Listing
Big P; Bye Bye Blackbird; Hand in Glove; Blame It on My Youth; Blues by Four; Naima; Elusive; Get Organized; Passion Dance.
Personnel
Tim Mayer
saxophoneAnthony Stanco
trumpetAdam Rongo
saxophone, altoTony Lustig
saxophone, baritoneMichael Dease
tromboneMiki Hayama
pianoEmmet Cohen
pianoRodney Whitaker
bassUlysses Owens, Jr.
drumsAlbum information
Title: Keeper of the Flame | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: D Clef Records
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Tim Mayer
Album Review
Jack Bowers
Keeper Of The Flame
D Clef Records
Diego Rivera
John Coltrane
George Coleman
Joe Henderson
bob mintzer
Jerry Bergonzi
Chris Potter
Rodney Whitaker
Ulysses Owens Jr.
Jimmy Heath
Cedar Walton
McCoy Tyner
Michael Dease
Miki Hayama
Adam Rongo
Emmet Cohen