Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jeff Hackworth: Night Owl
Jeff Hackworth: Night Owl
ByA powerful tenor player, Hackworth begins blowing hard and steamy on the opening "The Man," leaving no question that this is his album, despite the splendid contribution of the new rhythm section format. Taking a page from The Doors, the group turns "Love Me Two Times" into a hard-driving jazz number propelled by forceful tenor phrases. In stark contrast, "Little Blue" calms the music, and features both Schwartz and Hoggard.
Inspired by Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder," the Hackworth rendition "Sideswipe" turns on a 16-bar boogaloo, exacting a high-octane hard-bop sound from the group. The rock melody of the popular 1960s tune "I'm Your Puppet," receives a transformation into a soft jazz ballad, while the Rogers and Hammerstein ballad "We Kiss in a Shadow" presents Hackworth's most memorable moments of the disc.
A rousing "You'd Better Love Me," where the saxophonist and crew let it all hang out, concludes an entertaining and creative set that calls for more; the music is that invigorating. Exploring uncommon territory, full of sparkling solos and graced with first-rate musicianship, Night Owl may just be Jeff Hackworth's best production to date.
Track Listing
The Man; Innuendo; Love Me Two Times; Little Blue; Night Owl; Sideswipe; I'm Your Puppet; That Lucky Old Sun; We Kiss In A Shadow; You'd Better Love Me.
Personnel
Jeff Hackworth
saxophone, tenorJeff Hackworth: tenor saxophone; Jay Hoggard: vibes; Radam Schwartz: organ; Earl Grice: drums.
Album information
Title: Night Owl | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Big Bridge Music
Comments
About Jeff Hackworth
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
Related Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar To